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TouNG  FOLKS'  Heroes  of  Histort 


RALEGH 


HIS  EXPLOITS  AND  VOYAGES 


BY 


GEORGE  MAKEPEACE  TOWLE 

AUTHOR    OF    "  VASCO     DA    GAMA "     "  PIZARRO "     "MAGELLAN' 
•*  MARCO    POLO  "    ETC. 


ILLUSTRA  TED 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK     CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 


Copyright,  1881, 
By  Lee   and  SheparDc 


All  Rights  Resetted. 


CIS 

R\h>3b2 


PREFACE, 


Sir  Walter  Ralegh  was  famous  in  several 
fields  of  action.  His  younger  manhood  was  spent 
in  the  midst  of  the  most  brilliant  royal  court  which 
English  palaces  ever  held.  Later,  he  proved  his 
courage  and  military  prowess  in  more  than  one 
bitterly  contested  battle-field  and  naval  conflict. 
In  middle  life,  and  again  in  old  age,  he  braved  the 
great  deep  and  the  perils  of  savage  lands,  in  the 
sturdy  attempt  to  make  discoveries,  and  to  settle 
EngHsh  colonies  in  the  new  world.  His  love  of 
his  own  land,  and  his  hatred  of  her  enemies,  were 
always  ardent ;  nor  did  he  permit  the  harsh  ill- 
treatment  to  which  he  was  subjected  by  the  hos- 
tility of  his  rivals,  the  intrigues  of  Spain,  the 
caprices  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  the  insurmount- 
able dislike  of  King  James,  to  dampen  or  dull  the 
fire  of  his  patriotism. 

Ralegh   was   the   wittiest  man,  and  one   of   the 
r>l       most  scholarly  men  of  Elizabeth's  court.     He  was 

^      fond  of  books  ;   and  as  an   author,  he  took  rank 
in 

»7> 


PREFACE. 

with  the  great  Uterary  hghts  of  the  Elizabethan 
age.  Chivah"ous  in  feehng,  brave  in  action,  court- 
ly in  manner,  handsome  in  person,  a  faithful  hus- 
band, a  devoted  father,  a  valiant  soldier,  a  vigorous 
and  persevering  explorer,  and  a  wise  and  states- 
manlike thinker,  his  career  was  full  of  absorbing 
and  often  exciting  interest,  as  the  pages  which 
follow  will  doubtless  prove  it  to  have  been,  to  those 
who  read  them. 


C  O  N  1'  E  N  T  S. 


CHAPTER    I. 
Ralegh's  Boyhood  and  Youth   . 


CHAPTF.R    JT. 


Ralegh  a  Soldier 


CHAPTER    JJT 
Ralegh  a  Courtier 

CHAPTER    IV. 
Ralegh  as  a  Colonizer 

CHAPTER    V. 
The  Invincible  Armada 

CHAPTER    VI. 
Ralegh  a  Prisoner 

CHAPTER    VII. 
Ralegh's  First  Voyage 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
Adventures  on  the  Orinoco 

CHAPTER    IX. 
Ralegh's  Return  Home 

CHAPTER    X. 
Sea-fights  with  the  Spaniards 


i6 

32 
48 
64 
79 
96 

113 
130 

H7 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XI. 
The  Essex  Conspiracy 165 

CHAPTER    XII. 
Ralegh  Charged  with  Treason 182 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
Tried  for  his  Life        ... 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
Twelve  Years  in  thu  luutk     . 


CHAPTER    XVII. 
The  Final  Scene 


195 


CHAPTER    XV. 
Ralegh's  Second  Voi/vGc, 227 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
Ralegh's  Return 


243 


257 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Ralegh  spreading  his  Cloak  before  the  Queen  ....  35 

Ualegh's  Servant  attempts  to  put  out  the  Fire         .        .        .  Cxj 
Kalegh  showing  the  Portrait  of  Queen  Elizabeth  .       ,       .132 

Pvalegh  Urging  and  Encouraging  his  Men 15.1 

Ralegh's  Narrow  Escape 171 

Ralegh  in  Prison 221 

Death  of  Ralegh's  Son 237 

The  Final  Scene 27J 


ralegh: 

HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES. 


CHAPTER   I. 

RALEGH'S  BOYHOOD  AND  YOUTH. 

N  the  south  of  England,  bordering  upon 
the  British  Channel,  lies  the  pleasant  and 
picturesque  county  of  Devon.  The  gentle 
beauties  of  its  landscape,  and  its  mild  and  healthy 
climate  ;  its  vales,  and  downs,  and  woodlands  ;  its 
lofty  cliffs  stretching  along  the  coast ;  its  pretty 
bays,  inlets,  and  rivers,  winding  amid  rich  mead- 
ows and  sloping  hills  ;  its  fine  farms  and  dainty 
dairies  ;  and  its  quaint  old  cities  and  towns,  snug 
villages,  and  hoary  manor-houses,  have  long  been 
noted,  and  are  described  in  glowing  colors  by 
travellers  and  poets. 

Not  the  least  picturesque  of  the  Devon  rivers  is 
the  Otter,  which   flows   into   the   Channel   at  the 


2  RALEGH  : 

eastern  end  of  the  county.  The  Otter  runs  through 
a  country  of  prosperous  farms  and  ancient  settle- 
ments ;  and  along  its  banks  nestle  many  cottages 
and  hamlets  centuries  old. 

Close  to  the  Otter,  just  outside  the  village  of 
Budleigh,  there  still  stands,  where  it  has  stood  for 
at  least  four  centuries,  a  plain  and  now  half- 
ruined  farmhouse,  snugly  settled  beneath  lofty 
oaks  and  amid  thrifty  apple  orchards.  The  Otter 
flows  in  full  sight  of  the  small-paned,  irregular  win- 
dows. Behind  the  old  house,  the  hills  rise  to 
thickly-wooded  summits. 

The  venerable  homestead  has,  no  doubt,  seen 
many  changes  in  the  progress  of  four  hundred 
years  ;  nor  would  those  who  dwelt  within  its  walls 
in  the  time  of  bluff  Henry  the  Eighth,  probably 
recognize  it,  could  they  come  to  life  again,  and 
revisit  the  once  familiar  scene.  Yet  some  vestiges 
of  its  ancient  condition  remain. 

A  table,  clumsily  carved  and  worn  with  age,  still 
stands  in  the  spacious  sitting-room,  where,  it  is 
said,  it  has  stood  for  at  least  three  centuries. 
Should  you  visit  the  house,  its  good  dame  would 
eagerly  lead  you  up  the  narrow  staircase,  and,  con- 
ducting you  into  a  musty,  low-ceilinged  chamber, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  3 

would  proudly  tell  you  that  it  was  in  this  room  that 
the  famous  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  was  born. 

A  short  distance  from  the  house,  too,  stands  a 
curious  church,  older  even  than  the  house  itself; 
and  in  this  church  may  be  seen  a  quaint  oaken 
pew,  richly  carved  with  a  family  coat-of-arms, 
where,  for  centuries,  the  Raleghs  sat  and  wor- 
shipped. As  each  master  of  Hayes  —  this  was 
the  name  of  the  house  and  farm  which  have  been 
described  —  passed  away  from  earth,  he  was  sol- 
emnly borne  into  the  church  of  All  Saints,  and 
thence  to  the  ancient  family  tomb  near  by. 

At  the  modest  farmhouse  of  Hayes  there  lived, 
about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  a  poor 
gentleman  named  Walter  Ralegh.  But  though  poor, 
he  was  a  man  of  high  breeding  and  of  noble  blood, 
and  belonged  to  a  family  which  had  long  been 
rich  and  powerful.  He  w^as  nearly  related  to  many 
of  the  nobility  and  great  landlords  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, and  often  received  visits  from  them  at  his 
modest  homestead  of  Hayes.  Mr.  Ralegh  was  a 
quiet  gentleman,  who  took  little  part  in  the  stirring 
events  of  his  time,  and  preferred  living  in  his 
rustic  retreat  at  Hayes,  to  plunging  into  the  ex- 
citements   and   pleasures  of  London   life.     He   is 


4  RALEGH : 

therefore  little  heard  of  in  history  ;  further  than 
that  he  was  a  man  of  gentle  manners  and  an 
amiable  nature,  we  hear  nothing  of  him. 

His  wife,  however,  was  a  person  of  marked 
traits,  and  of  many  noble  virtues.  She  was  a  lady 
of  very  high  degree,  the  daughter  of  Sir  Philip 
Champernon,  a  proud  Norman  squire,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Courtenays,  the  famous  English 
emperors  of  Constantinople.  She  had  first  wedded, 
when  a  fair  and  haughty  young  girl,  a  valiant 
knight  named  Sir  Otho  Gilbert,  and  had  given 
birth  to  three  stalwart  sons — John,  Humphrey, 
and  Adrian  Gilbert  —  all  of  whom  played  an  heroic 
part  in  the  events  of  their  time,  and  attained,  by 
their  valorous  deeds,  the  dignity  of  knighthood. 

After  Sir  Otho's  death,  his  beautiful  wife  had 
been  won  by  the  modest  and  gentle  Walter  Ralegh, 
and  had  been  content  to  leave  the  proud  social  cir- 
cles of  which  she  was  a  brilliant  ornament,  and  to 
share  with  her  impoverished  second  husband  his 
rustic  abode  and  his  scanty  fortune.  Four  sons 
were  the  issue  of  this  singular  but  happy  love- 
match.  With  the  three  elder,  this  story  has  little 
or  nothing  to  do. 

The  fourth,  who  first  saw  the  light  in  the  very 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  ^ 

year  that  Queen  Mary  ascended  the  throne  of 
Britain  —  1552  —  was  named  after  his  father,  Wal- 
ter Ralegh. 

In  his  very  babyhood,  this  boy  was  noted  through 
the  country  around  Hayes  for  his  exceeding  beauty. 
His  regular  features,  his  rosy  complexion,  his  big, 
bright,  brown  eyes,  and  his  quick  precocity,  were 
the  talk  of  the  farmers  and  their  dames.  His 
father  and  mother  were  wondrously  proud  of  him, 
and  fairly  doted  on  him  ;  he  was  the  favorite  and 
the  pet  of  the  household,  from  the  day  he  was  born 
to  that  on  which  he  left  Hayes  to  seek  adventure 
and  fame  in  the  wide  world  beyond. 

The  good  father  and  the  ambitious  mother 
mourned  that  they  were  too  poor  to  give  him 
such  an  education  as  was  due  to  the  son  of  an 
ancient  English  family,  and  the  descendant  of 
imperial  ancestors.  Walter  Ralegh  received  his 
early  education  at  his  mother's  knees  ;  and  was 
brought  up  in  the  homely,  simple,  high-bred  fash- 
ion of  the  English  country-houses  as  they  were  in 
the  days  of  the  Tudor  kings  and  queens. 

Very  early  in  his  boyhood,  Walter  Ralegh  showed 
a  high  spirit  of  courage,  a  fondness  for  the  lusty 
sports  of  the  Devon  country  side,  a  love  of  out-door 


6  RALEGH : 

recreations  and  trials  of  physical  strength,  and  a 
fondness  for  the  excitements  and  dangers  of  the 
chase.  As  soon  as  he  could  mount  a  horse,  he 
was  seen  galloping  about  the  rustic  roads,  where 
he  outrode  all  his  comrades,  and  became  the  un- 
questioned leader  of  their  pastimes.  He  was  a 
muscular  as  well  as  a  handsome  young  fellow,  tall, 
well-formed,  and  manly  for  his  age,  full  of  cour- 
tesy, and  pleasant,  engaging  ways,  which  made 
him  a  hero  among  the  lads  who  shared  his  sturdy 
sports. 

There  was  no  rural  recreation,  indeed,  in  which 
he  did  not  take  part  with  keenest  ardor,  and  did 
not  soon  become  an  adept.  On  many  an  early 
summer  day,  he  was  wont  to  follow  the  shady 
streams  which  wound  through  the  forests  in  his 
neighborhood,  with  angler's  hook  and  line  ;  and  as 
he  cast  his  line  for  the  wary  trout,  dreamed,  no 
doubt,  many  a  dream  of  the  adventures  and  ambi- 
tions he  would  have  one  day  in  the  big,  bustling 
world  far  beyond  his  rural  home.  There  were 
other  days  on  which,  in  company  with  his  sport- 
loving  father,  he  galloped  over  the  breezy  hills  of 
Dartmoor,  his  packs  of  hounds  running  and  yelp- 
ing at  his  side,  and  followed  the  flying  deer  across 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  ^ 

dell  and  down,  and  through  the  cool  thickets, 
rejoicing  mightily  when  at  last  the  victim  of  the 
chase  was  brought  down,  and  the  hunting-horns, 
echoing  from  hill  to  hill,  announced  the  result  of 
the  chase  to  all  the  country  round. 

About  thirty  miles  from  Hayes,  in  the  midst  of 
dense  forests,  varied,  here  and  there,  by  blooming 
apple  orchards,  there  stood  a  grim  and  hoary  cas^ 
tie,  whose  lofty  towers  rose  above  the  trees  amid 
which  it  was  nestled.  It  was,  even  in  those  days, 
an  ancient  edifice.  Its  walls  were  thickly  clothed 
with  sturdy  ivies  ;  some  portions  of  it  were  already 
uninhabitable  from  decay  ;  and  rooks  made  their 
nests,  and  cawed  and  fluttered  in  the  now  deserted 
halls  of  this  ruined  part.  Just  behind  the  castle,  a 
noble  park  stretched  out,  with  its  rich,  turfy  lawns, 
and  its  grass-grown  and  much-neglected  avenues  ; 
while  beyond,  the  woods  were  full  of  deer  and 
other  game,  and  offered  fine  hunting-grounds  for 
the  occupants  of  the  gloomy  old  place. 

In  this  ancient  and  remote  castle,  which  was 
known  as  Compton  Castle,  lived  two  brothers,  who 
had  already  become  noted  for  their  spirit,  valor, 
and  love  of  adventure.  They  were  Humphrey  and 
Adrian  Gilbert,  the  half-brothers  of  young  Walter 


8  RALEGH  : 

Ralegh.  Although  still  young,  Humphrey  and 
Adrian  had  been  much  abroad  in  the  world,  and 
had  seen  some  military  service.  Both  of  them 
were  fond  of  dangerous  expeditions,  and  were 
expert  navigators  ;  and  they  liked  to  talk  of  the 
many  exciting  scenes  which  they  had  witnessed, 
and  in  which  they  had  taken  an  active  and  some- 
times an  heroic  part. 

They  both  had  a  warm  affection  for  their  young 
half-brother,  who  was  always  welcomed  to  Comp- 
ton  Castle  with  open  arms.  The  Gilberts,  no 
doubt,  perceived  in  him  a  spirit  of  enthusiasm 
and  adventure  akin  to  their  own  ;  and  encouraged 
him  by  their  stories  and  their  praise  to  look  eagerly 
forward  to  a  stirring  career  in  the  bustling  world. 

The  happiest  days  of  Walter  Ralegh's  boyhood, 
indeed,  were  spent  in  the  quaint  halls  and  forests 
of  Compton.  He  would  often  gallop  over  there  on 
his  favorite  horse,  and  remain  for  weeks  at  a  time 
in  the  congenial  companionship  of  the  two  young 
soldiers.  He  never  tired  of  sitting  by  the  big  fire- 
place, on  a  winter's  night,  and,  as  the  huge  logs 
blazed,  hearing  them  relate  their  adventures  till 
long  after  midnight ;  and  he  never  was  so  joyous 
as  when  following  them  to  the  hunt. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  Q 

So  spirited  and  imaginative  a  boy  was  not  likely 
to  neglect  the  hardy  pleasures  of  the  seaside,  near 
which  he  lived.  It  was  but  a  short  ride  from 
Hayes  to  the  stormy  coast  of  the  British  Channel ; 
and  many  a  long  day  did  Walter  spend  in  sight  of 
its  angry  waters,  and  of  the  sturdy  craft  which  con- 
stantly came  and  went.  That  part  of  the  coast,  in 
those  days,  was  studded  with  humble  cottages,  the 
homes  of  a  colony  of  sailors,  who  hastened  thither, 
after  a  voyage,  to  seek  rest  and  recreation  in  the 
midst  of  their  families.  These  sailors  were  a  very 
talkative  set ;  they  were  only  too  glad  if  they  could 
find  any  one  to  listen  to  their  thrilling  narratives 
of  battle,  shipwreck,  and  discovery. 

Walter's  intimacy  with  his  half-brothers,  Hum- 
phrey and  Adrian  Gilbert,  had  given  him  an  ardent 
taste  for  the  sea,  and  for  the  adventures  which 
those  who  follow  the  sea  are  sure  to  encounter. 
His  fancy  had  been  fired  by  their  enthusiasm  for 
discoN-ery,  and  he  already  began  to  long  to  take 
part  in  those  voyages  to  seek  out  new  lands,  which, 
in  his  time,  had  become  more  frequent  than  for- 
merly. 

He  eagerly,  therefore,  scraped  acquaintance  with 
the  scarred  and  weather-beaten  sailors  who,  ever 


lO  RALEGH  : 

and  anon,  made  their  appearance  at  the  cottages 
on  the  coast  near  Hayes.  These  rough  men  took 
a  fancy  to  the  bright-eyed,  inquisitive  lad,  who 
plied  them  with  innumerable  questions,  and  lis- 
tened with  open  mouth  and  dilated  pupils  to  their 
homely  tales  and  rude  descriptions.  He  would  sit 
for  hours  on  the  benches  just  outside  the  cottages  ; 
and  having  drunk  in  a  succession  of  exciting 
stories,  would  gallop  back  to  Hayes,  to  pass  a 
sleepless  night,  or  to  dream  of  being  himself  the 
hero  of  battles  with  savages,  or  of  obstinate  con- 
flicts with  Spanish  galleons  ;  or  of  gazing,  rapt  in 
wonder,  on  the  tropical  splendors  of  America  and 
the  Indies. 

Walter's  ambition  to  become  an  adventurer  was 
still  further  fed  by  what  he  read  and  heard  about 
the  daring  voyages  and  conquests  of  his  time. 
Already,  there  had  sprung  up  in  his  heart  a  warm 
love  of,  and  pride  in,  his  native  England.  He 
eagerly  devoured  the  accounts  of  the  glorious 
achievements  of  the  Spaniards  and  the  Portu- 
guese in  the  field  of  discovery.  He  read  with 
breathless  interest  the  thrilling  and  inspiring  sto- 
ries of  Vasco  da  Gama,  of  Columbus,  of  Pizarro 
and   Cortez,  of  Magellan   and    Albuquerque,   and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  II 

fancied  himself  the  future  hero  of  similar  ex- 
ploits. The  English  had  grown  very  jealous  of 
the  success  of  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese. 
They  prided  themselves  on  being  the  masters  of 
the  sea,  and  of  the  art  of  navigation  ;  nor  did  they 
yield  to  the  Spaniards  in  courage,  enterprise,  and 
contempt  of  danger.  They  were  resolved  to  be- 
come the  rivals  of  Spain  in  discovery  ;  and  they 
coveted  the  possession  of  the  rich,  distant  lands 
which  yet  remained  to  be  conquered  and  colonized 
by  European  valor. 

In  Ralegh's  boyhood,  several  English  navigators 
had  already  won  glory  and  renown  by  their  suc- 
cessful voyages  and  conquests.  Stout  old  John 
Hawkins  had  made  his  voyage  to  Africa ;  and 
Drake,  although  only  six  years  older  than  Ralegh, 
had  become  famous  in  Devonshire  as  a  voyager  to 
the  West  Indies,  and  had  engaged  in  many  sea- 
fights  with  Spanish  cruisers. 

It  is  very  likely  that,  in  these  early  days,  young 
Ralegh  saw  and  talked  with  Drake  and  Hawkins  ; 
for  both  Uved  at  no  great  distance  from  him.  At 
all  events,  their  example  filled  him  with  ardor  and 
impatience.  He  learned  to  hate  the  Spaniards 
with  all  the  warmth  and  spirit  of  boyish  hatred  ; 


12  RALEGH  : 

and  was  eager  to  take  his  part  in  the  fierce  rivalr)/ 
and  hostility  which  now  raged  between  Spain  and 
England.  His  blood  boiled  when  he  heard  of  an 
English  ship  being  taken  by  a  Spanish  cruiser  ; 
and  thrilled  with  delight  when  the  news  came  that 
a  Spanish  merchantman,  with  its  rich  cargo  from 
the  Eastern  seas,  had  been  gallantly  attacked  and 
brought  into  port  by  an  English  privateer. 

His  father  and  mother  did  not  fail  to  encourage 
his  adventurous  disposition.  They  saw  that  he 
was  made  of  heroic  stuff,  and  his  mother  was  too 
proud  of  her  famous  sons,  Humphrey  and  Adrian 
Gilbert,  not  to  be  ambitious  of  the  future  of  her 
youngest  boy.  She  indulged  in  fond  dreams  of 
his  coming  greatness  and  fame  ;  and  was  too  sure 
of  his  courage  and  intelligence,  to  fear  to  trust  him 
amid  the  perilous  conflicts  of  the  world.  Mean- 
while she  directed  his  studies,  and  persuaded 
him  to  work  as  hard  as  possible  with  his  books, 
that  he  might  be  the  sooner  prepared  to  enter 
upon  the  stirring  career  to  which  he  looked  for- 
ward so  eagerly.  With  his  sturdy  recreations  and 
his  books,  his  gallops  over  to  Compton  Castle,  and 
his  afternoon  visits  to  the  sailors'  cots,  time  sped 
rapidly  with  young  Walter    Ralegh ;    and   almost 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 3 

before  he  knew  it,  the  day  arrived  when  he  was 
to  leave  his  pretty  rustic  home  on  the  banks  of 
the  Otter,  and  to  go  up  to  Oxford  to  enter  the 
University. 

He  was  scarcely  fifteen  when  this  important 
change  in  his  life  took  place  ;  but  his  quickness  to 
learn  had  enabled  him,  even  at  that  age,  to  be- 
come fully  qualified  to  enter  college.  We  may 
well  believe  that  it  was  not  without  many  a  sigh  of 
regret  that  he  left  the  quiet  and  beloved  scenes  of 
his  home,  and  that  his  parting  from  father  and 
mother,  brothers  and  boon  companions,  brought  a 
pang  to  his  warm  boyish  heart. 

But  he  was  a  brave  young  fellow,  and  his  ambi- 
tion had  grown  with  his  years  ;  and  he  looked 
eagerly  forward  to  a  career  in  Oxford,  the  prizes 
of  which  glittered  before  his  fancy,  and  the  self- 
dependent  life  at  which  appealed  strongly  to  his 
manly  nature. 

An  autumn  day  in  1567,  then,  found  him  with 
his  good  father,  seated  in  a  quaint  little  room  at 
Oriel  College,  which  is  still  pointed  out  to  the 
modern  visitor  as  that  once  occupied  by  the  great 
Sir  Walter.  It  looked  out  upon  the  ivy-grown 
quadrangle,  with  its  jutting  windows  and  its  broad 


14  RALEGH  : 

stone  pavement  ;  anc^ Walter  watched  the  students 
in  their  hats  and  gowns,  as  they  passed  to  and  fro, 
with  great  interest. 

He  soon  found  himself  the  centre  of  a  large 
circle  of  gay  college  youths,  into  whose  pleas- 
ures and  frolics  he  entered  with  as  much  ardor  as 
he  had  done  into  the  pastimes  of  his  Devon  home. 
He  was,  at  Oriel,  as  in  Devon,  the  hero  and  leader 
of  his  companions,  the  foremost  in  their  sports 
and  escapades,  as  well  as  the  rival  of  the  first  in 
scholarship.  The  students  liked  the  frank,  grace- 
ful, courtly,  and  good-natured  youth  ;  and  he  quite 
as  quickly  attracted  the  attention  of  the  more  sober 
dons  and  professors.  It  was  not  long  before  Wal- 
ter Ralegh  was  known  as  one  of  the  brilliant  lights 
of  Oriel,  the  pride  alike  of  his  classmates  and  his 
instructors.  Sometimes  the  University  was  visited 
by  great  nobles,  and  men  of  high  distinction  ;  and 
young  Walter  Ralegh  thus  made  the  acquaintance 
of  many  statesmen  and  soldiers,  who  inspired  his 
ambition,  and  deeply  interested  him  with  their  con- 
'versation  and  comments  on  the  events  of  the 
time. 

The  great  Lord  Bacon,  who,  in  after  years  knew 
Ralegh  well,  tells  us  a  little  anecdote  of  Ralegh's 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 5 

college  life,  which  shows  that  even  thus  early  his 
soldierly  qualities  were  well  developed.  "  Whilst 
Ralegh  was  a  scholar  at  Oxford,"  relates  Lord 
Bacon,  "  there  was  a  cowardly  fellow,  who  hap- 
pened  to  be  a  very  good  archer  ;  but  having  been 
grossly  abused  by  another,  he  bemoaned  himself  to 
Ralegh,  and  asked  his  advice  what  he  should  do 
to  repair  the  wrong  that  had  been  offered  to  him. 
*  Why,'  promptly  answered  Ralegh,  '  challenge  him 
to  a  match  of  shooting  ! '  " 

These  happy  and  triumphant  college  days,  how- 
ever, came  suddenly  to  an  end.  A  temptation  was 
offered  to  Ralegh  to  set  out  suddenly  upon  a 
stirring  career  of  war  and  adventure,  which  his 
spirited  and  ambitious  nature  could  not  resist  ; 
and  before  he  had  been  at  Oriel  three  years,  he 
one  day  bade  adieu  to  its  tranquil  cloisters,  em- 
braced his  young  friends,  and  throwing  himself 
upon  his  horse,  galloped  away  to  London.  There 
he  would  meet  his  valiant  cousin,  Henry  Champer- 
non,  and,  with  him,  would  depart  for  far  different 
scenes  from  those  of  ancient  and  scholastic  Ox- 
ford. 


l6  RALEGH  : 


CHAPTER   II. 

RALEGH   A    SOLDIER. 

T  happened  that,  at  this  time,  a  bitter 
conflict  was  going  on  in  France,  between 
the  persecuted  Huguenots,  or  Protestants, 
and  the  cruel  government  of  the  CathoUc  King 
Charles  the  Ninth.  The  poor  Huguenots  had 
long  been  down-trodden,  and  visited  with  the  most 
relentless  tyranny.  But  they  had  survived  all 
these  injuries,  and  now  included  in  their  number 
many  of  the  ablest  and  noblest  men  in  France. 
Among  these  were  the  great  Prince  of  Conde  and 
Admiral  Coligny.  At  the  head  of  the  Huguenot 
party  was  the  brave  and  brilliant  Queen  of  Na- 
varre. 

Of  course  the  English,  who  had  now  become 
ardent  Protestants,  warmly  sympathized  with  the 
cause  of  the  Huguenots.  Queen  Elizabeth,  who 
had  succeeded  her  sister  Mary  on  the  English 
throne,  did  not  dare  to  openly  espouse  the  Hugue- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 7 

not  side ;  but  she  connived  at  the  expeditions 
which  were  formed  by  spirited  young  Enghshmen, 
and  which  repaired  to  France  to  join  their  arms 
with  those  of  the  vahant  Conde  and  CoHgny. 

One  of  the  most  active  young  cavaHers,  who 
saw  in  the  Huguenot  conflict  an  opportunity  to 
engage  in  an  exciting  enterprise,  and  to  win  the 
laurels  of  war,  was  Henry  Champernon,  Walter 
Ralegh's  cousin.  Champernon  gathered  about 
him  a  force  of  one  hundred  ambitious  youths,  the 
flower  of  English  blood  and  chivalry ;  many  of 
them  the  sons  of  noblemen  of  high  rank.  The 
skilful  fingers  of  fair  maidens  worked  for  them  a 
richly-embroidered  banner,  on  which  their  motto, 
''Fiftem  det  mihi  virtus,'' v^2iS>  emblazoned  in  gold 
and  silver  thread.  Their  costumes  were  costly 
and  brilliant ;  and  four  vessels  were  anchored  in 
the  Thames,  ready  to  speed  them  to  the  shores  of 
France  when  the  appointed  hour  came. 

Walter  Ralegh  hastened  up  to  London  with 
high  hopes  and  fluttering  heart.  His  cousin 
Champernon  greeted  him,  on  his  arrival  at  the 
quaint  old  inn  which  was  the  rendezvous  of  the 
band  of  adventurers,  with  a  warm  embrace  ;  and 
Ralegh  was  soon  "  hail  fellow  well  met "  with  all 


10  RALEGH  : 

the  young  cavaliers  who  were  to  be  his  comrades 
in  the  approaching  voyage  and  adventures.  He 
hastened  to  make  every  necessary  preparation ; 
and  ere  long  found  himself  fully  equipped  with  a 
bran-new  suit  of  military  clothes,  and  armed  with 
the  best  weapons  that  London  afforded. 

It  was  on  a  hazy,  September  day,  in  1769,  that 
the  band  of  youthful  warriors  went  on  board  the 
vessels,  and  the  Uttle  fleet,  with  colors  flying  and 
the  voyagers  gathered  on  the  decks,  floated  down 
the  Thames  toward  the  sea.  As  the  white  cliffs 
of  England  faded  from  the  view,  the  more  level 
and  inviting  coast  of  France  appeared  in  the  hori- 
zon ;  and  the  next  morning  the  fleet  had  lost  sight 
of  land  altogether. 

After  a  smooth  passage,  unbroken  by  any  note- 
worthy incident,  though  the  voyagers  kept  an 
anxious  lookout  for  French  and  Spanish  cruisers, 
the  towers  and  spires  of  La  Rochelle,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Huguenot  forces,  appeared  beyond 
the  boisterous  waves  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  The 
port  was  soon  reached,  and  the  four  vessels  an- 
chored at  the  dock. 

A  great  multitude  of  the  inhabitants  were  gath- 
ered on  the  wharves  to  welcome  the  brave  young 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I9 

Englishmen,  who  formed  in  line  and  marched 
through  the  crowd  to  their  quarters  in  the  fortress, 
their  embroidered  banner  waving  in  the  sunlight 
at  their  head.  After  resting  and  refreshing  them- 
selves, they  repaired  to  the  Queen  of  Navarre, 
who,  with  the  young  princess,  greeted  them  with 
tearful  gratitude,  and  encouraged  them  with  elo- 
quent words  and  brilliant  promises  of  renown.  It 
was  not  without  a  thrill  of  satisfaction  that  Cham- 
pernon  and  his  companions  learned  that  they  would 
not  be  compelled  to  lie  idle  long  at  La  Rochelle, 
but  would  at  once  proceed  to  the  battle-field  and 
enter  upon  active  service. 

A  few  days  after  their  arrival  the  young  cav- 
aliers set  out  to  join  the  Huguenot  army  under 
Coligny.  '  Their  first  experience,  however,  was  an 
untoward  one  ;  for,  as  they  were  advancing  to  join 
their  arms  with  those  of  the  French  rebels,  they 
met  the  retreating  forces  of  the  Count  of  Nassau. 
But  the  English  band  had,  soon  after,  occasion  to 
show  their  valor  and  mettle  at  the  famous  battle 
of  Moncontour. 

Walter  Ralegh's  career  in  the  conflicts  of  France 
remains  to  this  day  shrouded  in  obscurity  ;  for  no 
account   remains  of  his   exploits,  or  those  of  his 


20  RALEGH : 

comrades.  But  we  may  well  believe  that  they 
proved  themselves  valiant  and  sturdy,  and  that 
they  shared  the  laurels  of  the  self-devoted  Hugue- 
nots in  their  struggle  for  their  religious  liberties. 

It  is,  however,  probable  that  Walter  Ralegh  was 
in  Paris  when  the  dreadful  massacre  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew took  place,  in  1572;  and  that  he,  with 
the  chivalrous  Sir  Philip  Sidney  and  other  English 
knights,  took  refuge  in  the  house  of  the  English 
ambassador,  to  escape  the  fury  of  the  myrmidons 
of  the  French  king.  He  remained  in  France 
about  six  years,  and  during  that  long  period,  not 
only  engaged  in  the  civil  war,  but  took  careful  note 
of  all  he  saw  and  heard.  He  had  an  inquiring 
mind,  and  was  eager  to  store  it  with  knowledge ; 
and  it  was  in  France,  too,  that  he  undoubtedly 
acquired  that,  ripe  polish  and  courtliness  of  bearing 
which  were  in  years  to  come  to  so  well  serve  his 
fortunes  at  home. 

He  afterwards  wrote  accounts  of  some  of  the 
curious  things  which  he  observed  in  France.  One 
of  these  curiosities  he  thus  describes  :  "  I  saw 
certain  caves  in  Languedoc  which  had  but  one 
entrance,  and  that  very  narrow,  cut  out  in  the 
midway  of  high  rockS;  which  we  knew  not  how  to 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  21 

enter  by  any  ladder  or  engine;  till,  at  last,  by  cer- 
tain bundles  of  straw,  let  down  by  an  iron  chain, 
and  a  weighty  stone  in  the  midst,  those  that  de- 
fended it  were  so  smothered  that  they  rendered 
themselves  prisoners,  with  their  plate,  money,  and 
other  goods  therein  hidden." 

At  last  Walter  Ralegh  returned  home  to  England. 
He  had  gone  forth  a  slim  and  ruddy-cheeked  youth 
of  seventeen.  When  he  once  more  trod  his  native 
ground,  he  was  a  tall,  broad-shouldered,  bronze- 
featured  young  man  of  twenty-four ;  his  rich,  brown 
hair  fell  in  long,  curly  locks  to  his  shoulders  ;  his 
lip  and  chin  were  covered  with  a  glossy  beard. 
He  was  conspicuous  for  his  manly  beauty,  and  his 
soldier-like,  yet  refined  and  graceful  manners. 

After  paying  a  visit  to  his  parents  in  Devon,  he 
returned  to  London,  there  to  pursue  his  fortunes  in 
the  great  urban  world.  He  took  rooms  in  the 
Middle  Temple,  a  building  for  the  most  part  occu- 
pied by  lawyers  ;  but  Ralegh  had  other  and  more 
stirring  ambitions  than  to  become  an  advocate. 
At  this  time  he  led  a  life  of  pleasure,  awaiting  the 
course  of  events,  confident  that  new  fields  of  ad- 
venture and  action  would  soon  stretch  out  before 
him. 


22  RALEGH : 

Such  an  opportunity  soon  occurred.  A  war 
broke  out  in  Holland,  where  the  proud  Don  John 
of  Austria,  the  brother  of  the  King  of  Spain,  was 
striving  to  subject  the  brave  Dutch  to  his  despotic 
rule.  Queen  Elizabeth  hastened  to  send  aid  to 
the  oppressed  people.  An  expedition,  under  the 
command  of  Sir  John  Norris,  set  out  for  Holland, 
and  in  this  Walter  Ralegh  eagerly  sought  and 
readily  obtained  a  command. 

This  adventure  was  a  brief  but  brilliant  one. 
Norris  nTet  the  forces  of  Don  John  at  Rinemant, 
and  by  a  shrewd  stratagem  succeeded  in  routing 
the  haughty  Spaniard  and  his  troops.  In  this 
achievement  Ralegh  took  a  conspicuous  and  heroic 
part.  His  long  and  perilous  service  in  France 
had  trained  him  into  a  daring,  accomplished,  and 
skilful  warrior.  He  had  learned  to  love  the  din  of 
the  battle-field,  the  stirring  sound  of  trumpet  and 
drum,  the  impetuous  onset,  and  the  desperate 
encounter  arm  to  arm.  It  was  sweet  to  him  to 
follow,  with  clattering  hoof  and  hoarse  voice,  the 
fast-retreating  foe  ;  to  mount  the  deserted  citadel, 
and  plant  the  victorious  banner  on  its  summit. 

He  was  not  a  httle  disappointed,  therefore,  to 
find    the  campaign  in   Holland  so  brief.     But  on 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  23 

returning  once  more  to  London,  he  found  a  new 
and  very  different  sort  of  adventure  ready  for  his 
undertaking. 

His  half  brother,  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  whose 
ambition  had  long  been  excited  by  voyages  of  dis- 
covery, had  made  up  his  mind  to  set  out  upon 
such  a  voyage  himself.  His  destination  was  the 
still  mysterious  continent  of  America.  He  busied 
himself  getting  together  and  fitting  up  a  small 
squadron  of  vessels,  of  which  he  himself  proposed 
to  take  the  command ;  and  Walter  Ralegh  reached 
London  just  in  time  to  enter  with  eager  delight 
into  Sir  Humphrey's  plans.  Sir  Humphrey  was 
only  too  glad  to  assent  to  his  brave  young  broth- 
er's prayer  that  he  might  go  on  the  expedition, 
too;  and  Walter  made  all  haste  to  complete  his 
preparations  for  the  voyage. 

In  due  time  the  squadron  dropped  down  the 
English  Channel,  and  put  to  sea.  Walter  was  on 
the  flag-ship  with  Sir  Humphrey.  It  was  his  first 
experience  of  -life  on  the  ocean  wave,"  and  he 
took  the  keenest  interest  in  all  that  went  forward 
on  shipboard.  He  watched  the  various  operations 
of  the  seamen  ;  the  methods  of  ascertaining  the 
longitude  and  latitude  of  the  ship's  position  ;  the 


24  RALEGH  : 

various  arrangements  and  management  of  the 
sails  ;  and  the  discipHne  which  was  imposed  on 
the  crew.  As  his  own  duties  were  light,  he  spent 
much  of  his  time  while  on  board  in  study.  He 
made  it  a  rule  only  to  allow  five  hours  for  sleep ; 
and  to  devote  at  least  four  hours  a  day  to  his 
books.  Meanwhile,  he  shared  the  rough  life  of 
the  sailors,  and  endufed  the  same  hardships  of 
sea  life  to  which  the  humblest  of  the  men  were 
subjected.  He  treated  them,  moreover,  as  his 
equals,  and  was  never  tired  of  listening  to  their 
yarns  of  the  perils  they  had  witnessed  and  the 
strange  lands  they  had  seen. 

All  of  a  sudden,  one  morning,  an  event  took 
place  which  resulted  in  a  fatal  loss  to  the  expedi- 
tion. The  crew  of  one  of  the  largest  ships  rose  in 
mutiny.  The  officers  were  deprived  of  their  com- 
mands, and  before  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  could 
recover  possession  of  the  ship,  it  had  parted  com- 
pany with  the  rest,  and  had  sailed  away.  Nor  was 
this  desertion  the  only  misfortune  he  was  destined 
to  encounter;  for  soon  after  the  mutineers  had 
departed,  some  Spanish  cruisers  bore  down  upon 
the  squadron,  and  fiercely  assailed  it.  The  cruisers 
proved  too  strong  for  Sir  Humphrey's  ships,  and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  2$ 

his  only  course  was  to  put  on  all  sail  and  get  away 
from  them.  In  this  he  succeeded  ;  but  only  after 
several  of  his  ships  had  been  badly  damaged  by 
the   Spaniards. 

In  this  sad  plight  the  squadron  put  in  at  Ports- 
mouth, and  all  thought  of  resuming  the  expedition 
was  abandoned.  Walter  Ralegh  now  found  his 
time  once  more  on  his  hands,  and  returned  to 
London,  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  out  for  new  adven- 
tures. He  had,  at  least,  attracted  the  attention  of 
Queen  Elizabeth  and  some  of  her  greatest  court- 
iers. Among  these  was  the  elegant  and  chivalrous 
Earl  of  Leicester,  who,  at -this  period,  was  the 
queen's  special  favorite.  Ralegh  succeeded  in 
winning  Leicester's  friendship ;  and  this  event  was 
destined  to  have  an  important  influence  on  the 
young  man's  after  life. 

A  bitter  rebellion  had  recently  broken  out  in 
Ireland,  owing  to  the  oppressions  of  the  English. 
It  at  last  became  necessary  to  send  thither  a  con- 
siderable force  to  put  down  the  revolt  ;  and  in  this 
force  Ralegh  went  as  captain  of  a  company  of 
cavalry.  Although  he  was  eager  once  more  to  test 
his  warlike  mettle,  he  did  not  like  the  service  on 
which  he  was  being  sent  to  Ireland.     He  shrank 


26  RALEGH  : 

from  shedding  the  blood  of  a  people  who  were 
struggling  for  their  liberty.  "  I  disdain  this 
charge,"  he  said  to  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  "as 
much  as  to  keep  sheep." 

But  Ralegh's  ambition  prevailed  over  his  scru- 
ples. He  was  determined  to  rise  and  to  win  war- 
like fame  ;  and  so  he  suppressed  the  better  im- 
pulses of  his  heart,  and  went  forth  to  fight  the 
Irish  rebels.' 

Once  on  Irish  soil,  he  plunged  with  vigor  and 
ardor  into  the  campaign.  On  every  field  he  showed 
dauntless  valor,  and  won  the  admiration  and  devo- 
tion of  his  men.  His  compunctions  soon  disap- 
peared, and  he  became  severe,  and  even  cruel,  to 
the  Irish  whom  he  fought  and  captured. 

On  one  occasion,  having  noticed  that,  after  an 
English  force  had  left  an  encampment,  the  Irish 
swarmed  into  it,  he  lay  in  ambush  for  them  with 
his  troop,  and  succeeded  in  capturing  a  number  of 
them.  He  observed  that  one  of  these  prisoners 
had  a  bundle  of  rope  under  his  arm. 

*'  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  rope .'' " 
Ralegh  sternly  asked  the  man. 

"  Hang  the  English  churls,"  was  the  fierce  and 
rash  reply. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  2/ 

''  Is  it  SO  ? "  returned  the  captain.  "  It  shall 
now  serve  for  an  Irish  rebel." 

And  he  forthwith  ordered  the  man  to  be  hung 
with  his  own  rope. 

Another  adventure  of  Ralegh's,  which  happened 
during  his  sojourn  in  Ireland,  is  more  to  his  credit. 
He  was  going,  with  his  company,  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  castle  of  a  certain  rebellious  lord  near 
Cork.  On  the  way,  the  rebels  were  waiting  in 
ambush  near  a  river,  in  order  to  attack  him  by  sur- 
prise. Their  plot  nearly  succeeded  ;  for  Ralegh's 
force  was  small,  and  was  advancing  in  a  careless, 
disorderly  fashion.  After  a  sharp  fight,  however, 
the  little  English  troop  prevailed  over  their  assail- 
ants. In  the  midst  of  the  struggle,  a  friend  of 
Ralegh's,  named  Moyle,  fell  with  his  horse  into  a 
deep  bog  near  the  scene  of  conflict.  He  was  sur- 
rounded by  several  of  the  Irish,  who  would  speed- 
ily have  put  him  to  death,  had  not  Ralegh,  per- 
ceiving his  friend's  peril,  hastened  to  his  rescue. 
Just  as  he  reached  Moyle,  he  was  suddenly  thrown 
from  his  horse  by  an  Irishman,  and  was  forced  to 
fight  his  friend's  assailants  on  foot,  standing  ankle- 
deep  in  the  bog.  At  least  twenty  Irishmen  at- 
tacked him  ;  but  with  sword  and  pistol  the  gallant 


28  RALEGH  : 

cavalier  held  them  at  bay,  until  his  soldiers  could 
come  up  and  drive  them  back.  This  heroic  deed 
was  soon  known  throughout  Ireland,  and  gave 
Ralegh  a  high  reputation  for  courage. 

The  next  scene  of  his  service  was  at  the  siege 
of  a  fort  at  Smerwick,  in  southern  Ireland.  Ralegh 
commanded  the  operations  of  the  siege  ;  and  when 
the  fort  was  at  last  taken,  he  entered  the  town  at 
the  head  of  his  troops,  and  dealt  a  terrible  ven- 
geance upon  the  Irish  rebels  for  their  resistance. 
Many  of  them  were  put  to  death  in  the  streets. 
This  massacre,  in  which  Ralegh  himself  probably 
took  part,  is  a  dark  blot  on  his  renown. 

At  last,  Ralegh  was  made  the  military  governor 
of  the  province  of  Munster.  This  was  a  high 
trust  and  distinction  for  so  young  a  soldier ;  but 
he  soon  proved  that  he  was  well  fitted  to  fill  such 
an  office.  Many  stories  are  told  of  his  deeds  of 
gallantry,  and  his  hair-breadth  escapes  during  the 
progress  of  the  war.  More  than  once  his  horse 
was  killed  under  him,  and  his  life  was  in  the  most 
serious  peril  ;  but  his  coolness  and  pluck  always 
brought  him  safe  out  of  danger.  He  thus  won 
the  devotion  and  love  of  his  soldiers  wherever  he 
was  in  command.  They  proudly  followed  a  chief 
so  fearless  and  so  knightly. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  29 

One  of  the  last  of  Ralegh's  exploits  while  in 
Ireland  was  his  adventure  at  a  castle  called  Bally, 
and  his  capture  of  Lord  Roche,  its  proprietor. 
Lord  Roche  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the 
Irish  rebels,  and  had  gathered  a  large  force  of  his 
adherents  and  retainers,  to  defend  Bally  Castle 
from  capture  by  the  English. 

This  bold  lord  had  long  been  a  source  of  annoy- 
ance to  Ralegh  ;  and  at  last  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  make  the  noble  rebel  a  prisoner.  Unfortu- 
nately, Ralegh  had  but  a  small  force  at  his  com- 
mand. Bally  Castle  was  twenty  miles  from  Cork, 
in  which  city  Ralegh  had  his  headquarters  ;  and  it 
was  no  easy  matter  to  march  troops  that  distance, 
and  take  the  castle  by  surprise.  Yet  Ralegh  set 
out  early  one  morning  with  his  little  troop,  which 
was  to  be  followed  as  speedily  as  possible  by  an- 
other company. 

He  had  not  got  far  on  the  road  when  he  learned 
that  an  ambush  of  eight  hundred  Irishmen  lay 
in  wait  for  him  just  ahead.  He  quickly  led  his 
soldiers  aside,  across  some  fields,  and  by  rapid 
marching  and  adroit  movement  escaped  this  dan- 
ger. But  it  was  not  the  last  which  he  was  to 
encounter  on  his  way  ;  for  on  approaching  Bally,  he 


30  RALEGH : 

was  confronted  by  a  mob  of  some  five  hundred 
villagers  and  farm-laborers,  rudely  armed,  but 
resolved  to  check  his  advance.  By  a  skilful 
manoeuvre,  Ralegh  managed  to  elude  these,  as  he 
had  done  the  body  of  Irish  in  ambuscade ;  and, 
selecting  six  stalwart  and  trusty  comrades,  he  hur- 
ried up  to  the  castle  gates.  There  he  demanded 
an  interview  with  Lord  Roche.  The  guard  replied 
that  he  might  enter,  but  that  only  two  of  his  com- 
panions could  go  in  with  him.  As  Ralegh  and 
two  of  his  soldiers  entered  the  gates,  however, 
the  other  three  managed  to  sHp  in  behind  them 
without  being  perceived.  While  Ralegh  and  his 
comrades  ascended  into  the  castle  hall,  these  three, 
who  had  remained  behind,  suddenly  reopened  the 
gates,  and  before  the  Irish  guard  knew  what  was 
going  forward,  the  entire  English  troop  were  drawn 
up  in  battle  array  in  the  courtyard. 

Meanwhile  Ralegh,  confronting  Lord  Roche  in 
the  castle  hall,  told  him  plainly  that  he  must  go 
back  with  the  Enghsh  to  Cork.  At  first  the 
sturdy  baron  refused  ;  but  finding  that  his  castle 
was  in  full  possession  of  Ralegh's  soldiers,  and 
that  resistance  was  useless,  he  reluctantly  yielded. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  3I 

That  night,  which  was  a  wild  and  stormy  one, 
Ralegh  and  his  troop  set  out  from  Bally  Castle, 
with  the  captured  lord  in  their  midst.  On  their 
way  back  to  Cork,  they  were  repeatedly  assailed  by 
guerilla  bands  of  the  Irish  ;  but  in  each  instance 
the  assailants  were  driven  back,  though  several  of 
Ralegh's  bravest  soldiers  were  left  mortally  wounded 
by  the  roadside. 

When  he  entered  Cork  with  his  formidable  pris- 
oner, he  was  greeted  with  an  excited  welcome  by 
his  brother  officers  and  the  garrison  ;  the  news  of 
the  exploit,  which  was  the  most  brilliant  and  dar- 
ing of  the  war,  extended  not  only  through  Ireland, 
but  reached  the  ears  of  the  queen  and  her  court 
at  home ;  and  Ralegh's  praises  resounded  far  and 
near. 


32  RALEGH  I 


CHAPTER    III. 

RALEGH    A    COURTIER. 

ALTER  RALEGH  at  last  returned  home 
from  Ireland,  crowned  with  the  laurels 
of  military  fame,  and  eager  to  pursue  the 
upward  path  towards  .higher  renown  and  power. 
He  was  now  thirty  years  of  age,  and  in  the  full 
ripeness  of  manly  bearing  and  beauty  ;  and  had 
already  seen  enough  of  active  and  stirring  service 
to  give  him  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  world,  and 
a  yet  more  ardent  desire  to  play  a  great  part  in  its 
affairs.  It  was  not  long  before  he  appeared  upon 
a  far  more  brilliant  scene  than  the  military  camp, 
or  the  grim,  rude  fortress. 

One  day,  the  ancient  palace  of  Greenwich, 
which  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames,  a  few 
miles  below  London,  presented  a  lively  and  bril- 
liant scene.  The  palace  was  thronged  with  court- 
iers, arrayed  in  all  the  gorgeous  colors  and  glitter- 
ing  ornaments    which    the    ingenuity  of  the    age 


Ralegh   sprkaping   his  Cloak   befoke  the  Queen.      Page  35- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  33 

could  devise.  Grave  statesmen,  all  beruffled,  and 
their  white  beards  carefully  trimmed  and  daintily 
pointed ;  fine  young  cavaliers,  sparkling  with  gems, 
attired  in  rich  velvets  and  long  plumes,  and  armed 
with  gold-hilted  swords ;  stately  dames,  with  heavy 
and  gayly  trimmed  trains  ;  beautiful  belles  of  high 
degree,  grouped  in  dazzling  knots,  were  gathered 
on  the  thick  green  lawn  beneath  the  palace  portals; 
while  the  trumpets  gave  forth  inspiriting  sounds, 
and  lines  of  soldiers  were  drawn  up  along  the  bank. 

Presently  there  was  a  stir  and  a  flutter  in  the 
gorgeous  crowd  ;  for  now  appeared,  descending 
the  broad  flight  of  steps,  with  proud  and  majestic 
mien,  the  tall  and  slender  figure  of  the  maiden 
Queen  of  England. 

The  haughty  Elizabeth  was  then  in  the  mature 
ripeness  of  middle  age,  but  she  still  preserved  not 
a  few  remnants  of  the  beauty  of  her  youth.  Her 
form,  though  slight,  was  straight  and  well  propor- 
tioned. Her  complexion  was  still  wonderfully  fair 
and  smooth  ;  her  large  blue  eyes  were  still  bright 
and  expressive.  One  of  her  greatest  beauties  was 
her  white,  small,  and  delicate  hands.  She  was 
very  proud  of  her  hands  ;  and  one  old  envoy, 
who   often    talked    with    her,    says    that   at    every 


34  RALEGH : 

audience  he  had  with  her,  she  kept  pulling  off 
her  gloves,  so  as  to  display  them.  Her  hair  was 
a  light  red,  and  very  plentiful,  and  most  carefully 
arranged.  Her  face  was  full  of  pride  ;  but  when 
she  was  pleased,  her  expression  melted  into  one  of 
the  most  engaging  sweetness.  Her  voice,  too,  was 
clear  and  musical,  and  added  to  the  charm  of  her 
gracious  smile.  Her  person  was  fairly  ablaze  with 
the  largest  and  most  precious  jewels,  for  which  she 
had  an  extravagant  fondness  :  and  her  attire  was 
splendid,  far  beyond  that  of  any  of  the  ladies  of  her 
court.  A  large,  fan-like  collar  of  richest  lace  rose 
from  her  slender  neck  above  her  head  behind  ;  and 
her  golden  tresses  were  combed  high  from  her 
forehead. 

On  this  afternoon,  a  heavy  shower  had  just 
passed  over  ;  and  even  now  the  sun,  bursting 
through  the  fast-vanishing  clouds,  cast  its  rays 
upon  the  trees  still  dripping  with  glittering  drops. 

The  queen,  surrounded  by  the  gay  group  of 
ladies  and  courtiers,  set  forth  upon  a  promenade 
through  her  park,  chatting  affably  with  this  one 
and  that,  as,  with  stately  carriage,  she  passed 
along.  Musical  laughter  rang  through  the  copses 
of  oak  and  chestnut  ;    fine-bred  dogs  trotted  and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  35 

scented  in  the  midst  of  the  party  ;  atid  it  seemed 
that  the  court  of  Elizabeth  was  indeed  a  merry  and 
a  mirthful. one. 

Pretty  soon  the  queen  came  to  a  place  where  a 
muddy  spot,  formed  by  the  recent  rain,  crossed 
her  path.  Her  dainty  feet  were  incased  in  hand- 
some shoes,  and  when  she  saw  the  puddle,  she 
stopped,  perplexed  how  to  cross  it  without  soil- 
ing them.  At  that  instant  one  of  the  courtiers, 
more  elegantly  attired  than  the  majority  of  his 
companions,  stepped  forward,  and  throwing  off  his 
richly  embroidered  cloak,  spread  it  over  the  muddy 
place,  and  bowed  gallantly  to  the  queen.  Eliza- 
beth, delighted  at  so  chivalrous  an  act,  rewarded 
the  cavalier  with  her  brightest  smile,  and  lightly 
tripped  across  the  extemporized  carpet  thus  laid 
for  her. 

The  courtiers  and  ladies  glanced  with  admira- 
tion, not  unmingled  with  envy,  at  the  young  gal- 
lant who  had  so  readily  pleased  their  mistress ;  and 
during  the  rest  of  the  promenade,  Elizabeth  kept 
him  at  her  side,  and  gave  him  many  a  gracious  and 
grateful  glance. 

The  cavalier  —  who  was  none  other  than  Walter 
Ralegh  —  was  well   fitted   to   attract  the  favor  of 


36  RALEGH  : 

the  sentimental  queen.  He  was  at  that  time  six 
feet  high,  nobly  formed,  as  straight  as  an  arrow, 
and  had  a  fine,  manly  bearing,  which  distinguished 
him  above  the  other  courtiers.  His  dark  hair 
fell  in  luxuriant  ringlets  over  his  neck  ;  his  clear, 
ruddy  complexion  and  bright  eyes  and  fine  brown 
beard  added  to  the  attractiveness  of  his  appearance  ; 
while  the  grace  and  eloquence  of  his  speech 
charmed  all  who  talked  with  him. 

Ralegh  pleased  the  queen  also  by  the  splendor 
of  his  dress.  His  white  satin  vest,  his  brown, 
finely-flowered  doublet  embroidered  with  pearls, 
his  rich  sword-belt,  his  fringed  white  satin  garters, 
his  bufl'-colored  shoes  studded  with  jewels  and 
tied  with  dainty  white  ribbons,  his  wide  hat,  to 
which  the  long  black  plume  was  fastened  with  an 
enormous  ruby,  made  him  a  gorgeous  object 
indeed. 

After  this  incident  in  the  park,  Ralegh  very 
rapidly  rose  in  the  favor  of  the  queen,  and  in 
position  at  her  pleasure-loving  court,  Elizabeth, 
being  fond  of  handsome,  and  especially  of  witty 
and  eloquent  young  men,  grew  more  and  more 
attached  to  him  every  day.  He  was  almost  con- 
stantly at   the  palace,    and   his    brother  courtiers 


HIS  EXPLOITS  AND  VOYAGES.         37 

whispered  in  his  ear  that  he  would  soon  be  the 
ruling  favorite.  He  enjoyed  all  ttie  sweets  of 
praise  and  flattery,  and  began  to  dream  dazzling 
dreams  of  the  power  and  riches  which  seemed 
almost  within  his  grasp.  It  was  not  long  before 
he  became  known  as  a  polished  poet.  His  verses 
were  read  in  the  luxurious  halls  of  the  palace  with 
exclamations  of  delight ;  while  the  tales  of  his 
military  exploits  were  eagerly  repeated  from  mouth 
to  mouth. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  adventure  of  the  cloak, 
that  Ralegh  was  standing,  one  day,  in  the  recess  of 
a  window  of  the  palace,  a  little  apart  from  the  spot 
where  the  queen  was  chatting  vivaciously  with  the 
wits  and  beauties  of  her  court.  Seizing  a  moment 
when  his  royal  mistress's  glance  was  directed  to- 
wards him,  he  pulled  a  diamond  ring  off  his  finger, 
and  with  the  diamond  quickly  scratched  a  line  on  the 
window-pane,  and  then  sauntered  leisurely  away. 

Elizabeth  saw  him  do  this,  and  burning  with 
curiosity  to  know  what  the  cavalier  had  traced, 
escaped  from  the  group  around  her,  and  hurried 
to  the  window.  There  she  read,  written  in  a 
dainty  hand,  this  line  : 

"  Fain  would  I  climb,  but  that  I  tear  to  fall." 


38  RALEGH  : 

She  understood  the  meaning  at  once;  and  taking 
her  own  diamond,  she  wrote,  just  underneath,  the 
following  response,  completing  the  rhyme : 

"  If  thy  heart  fail  thee,  do  not  climb  at  all." 

Ralegh  was  filled  with  joy  on  reading  this  en- 
couraging reply  ;  for  he  knew  that  the  queen 
meant  to  hint  to  him  that  he  should  grow  bolder 
in  his  attentions  toward  her.  This  hint  he  was  not 
slow  to  accept.  He  became  more  ardent  than  ever 
in  his  advances  to  the  susceptible  royal  lady,  and 
she  received  them  with  a  coquettish  pleasure  which 
made  Ralegh's  heart  beat  high  with  hope.  It  is 
very  likely  that  he  soon  began  to  flatter  himself 
that  the  maiden  queen  might  yet  bestow  her  royal 
heart  and  hand  upon  him  ;  and  it  is  certain  that 
he  bent  all  his  energies  to  win  her  affection. 

But  he  had  at  least  one  formidable  rival  in  pur- 
suit of  the  queen's  special  favor.  His  old  friend, 
the  courtly  Earl  of  Leicester,  had  once  been  the 
favorite,  but  had  fallen  under  Elizabeth's  displeas- 
ure. But  the  impulsive  and  jealous  young  Earl  of 
Essex  attracted  her  notice,  and  was  as  determined 
as  Ralegh  himself  to  win  her  exclusive  pref- 
erence.    There  grew  up  a   bitter    rivalry  between 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  39 

the  two  ;  but  Elizabeth  was  a  skilful  coquette, 
and  succeeded  in  making  each  of  her  lovers  think 
that  he  was  the  favored  one. 

Meanwhile,  Ralegh  plunged  with  all  the  ardor 
and  vigor  of  his  nature  into  the  gay  and  giddy  pas- 
times of  the  court  ;  and  there  never  was  a  royal 
court  more  absorbed  in  dazzling  pageantry  and 
chivalric  pleasures  than  that  of  Elizabeth.  There 
were  famous  tournaments  in  the  royal  pleasure- 
grounds,  over  which  the  queen,  decked  out  in  all 
her  extravagant  finery,  presided,  and  in  which  she 
dispensed  the  prizes  of  victory  with  her  own  royal 
hand.  Sometimes  the  jousting  was  between  two 
bands  of  richly  attired  cavaliers,  who  met  with 
stout  combat  of  lances  on  the  field,  and  contested 
the  palm  in  closely-serried  ranks.  At  other  times, 
the  tournament  would  be  held  between  two  an- 
tagonists alone,  who  struggled  with  obstinate 
pluck  to  send  each  other  sprawling  upon  the 
thick  turf.  Elizabeth  and  her  high-born  dames 
watched  these  encounters  with  breathless  interest ; 
and  pleased  indeed  was  she,  when  she  could  award 
the  palm  of  triumph  to  her  favored  Walter  Ralegh. 
This,  indeed,  often  happened  ;  for  there  was  no 
more  stalwart  or  skilful  arm,  no  more  impetuous 


40  RALEGH : 

courage  than  his  among  all  the  warriors  and  nobles 
of  the  court. 

Other  div^ersions  served  to  beguile  the  time. 
There  were  Italian  masquerades,  held  in  the  palace 
halls  late  at  night,  when  all  the  lords  and  ladies 
appeared  in  costumes  the  most  magnificent  as 
well  as  quaint  and  curious  ;  and  in  these  the  hand- 
some figure  of  Walter  Ralegh  was  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  and  attractive. 

Queen  Elizabeth  was  very  fond  of  making  what 
were  called  "progresses"  through  her  dominions.  . 
She  would  journey,  with  a  numerous  and  brilliant 
retinue,  from  castle  to  castle  and  from  hall  to 
manor-house,  receiving  the  lavish  hospitalities  of 
her  great  nobles,  who  were,  of  course,  only  too  proud 
to  receive  their  sovereign  beneath  their  roofs,  and 
placed  no  limit  on  the  expense  of  her  entertain- 
ment. In  these  progresses,  Walter  Ralegh  often 
formed  one  of  her  gay  escort  ;  and  thus  he  shared 
the  splendid  festivities  which  graced  her  sojourn  in 
the  various  places,  and  at  the  same  time  made 
familiar  acquaintance  with  some  of  the  most  power- 
ful patricians,  statesmen,  and  soldiers  in  England. 

Splendid,  indeed,  in  its  galaxy  of  brilliant  and 
talented    men,  was  at  that   time  the  court  of  the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGIiS.  4I 

maiden  queen.  Besides  Ralegh,  there  were  the 
loble  and  chivalrous  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  whose  life 
fvas  a  romance  of  adventure,  heroism,  and  gal- 
lantry ;  the  sage  and  sedate  Lord  Burleigh,  whose 
shake  of  the  head  was  so  significant ;  the  graceful 
Sir  Christopher  Hatton,who,  at  fifty,  was  noted  as 
the  finest  dancer  in  the  kingdom,  and  who  was  one 
of  Ralegh's  most  formidable  rivals  for  the  affection 
of  the  queen  ;  young  Francis  Bacon,  already  begin- 
ning a  career  which  was  to  become  so  lofty,  and 
was  to  end  in  a  gloom  so  dismal  ;  and  many 
another  knight  and  noble,  whose  names  still  live 
in  the  history  of  that  picturesque  time. 

But  Ralegh's  life  at  court,  favored  and  prosper- 
ous as  it  was,  was  not  without  its  trials  and  tribu- 
lations. So  rapid  an  elevation  as  his  was  sure  to 
arouse  many  enemies.  Sir  Christopher  Hatton 
was  full  of  jealous  anger  to  see  the  queen  lavish- 
ing her  smiles  upon  this  upstart  yoimg  cavalier, 
and  wrote  piteous  letters  to  her,  begging  her  to 
snub  Ralegh  ;  which  she  answered  with  such 
cunning  coquetry  as  to  soothe  the  love-sick 
knight's   agitated   soul. 

Old  Lord  Burleigh,  too,  the  queen's  wisest  and 
most  trusted  counsellor,  disliked  Ralegh,  and  tried 


42  RALEGH  : 

to  win  the  queen  away  from  him  ;  but  Ralegh's 
handsome  face  and  form,  the  sweet  speeches  he 
whispered  into  her  ear,  the  ever  flattering  gallantry 
of  his  manner  towards  her,  his  poetry  and  his  wit, 
were  too  strong  to  be  overcome  by  the  gray- 
headed  old  statesman's  protestations. 

The  preference  of  the  queen  and  the  flatteries 
of  the  court  seem  to  have  been  a  little  too  much 
for  Ralegh's  self-control  ;  for  he  grew  somewhat 
haughty  and  arrogant,  and  thus  alienated  from  him 
many  who  had  at  first  been  his  ardent  friends  and 
admirers. 

Despite  all  this,  Ralegh's  star  was  still  in  the 
ascendant.  As  time  advanced,  he  received  proof 
after  proof  of  the  queen's  affection  for  him  ;  nor 
could  all  the  efforts  of  his  enemies  displace  him 
from  her  heart. 

Elizabeth  took  it  into  her  head,  at  one  time,  to 
get  married  ;  and  casting  her  eye  abroad  for  a 
husband  of  royal  rank,  picked  out  an  ugly,  pock- 
marked little  prince,  the  Duke  of  Anjou,  as  her 
spouse  to-be.  It  became  necessary  to  send  an 
embassy  to  Holland,  where  the  duke  was,  to  ar- 
range the  matter.  The  Earl  of  Leicester,  Ra- 
legh's early  friend,  had  now  become  reconciled  to 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  43 

the  queen  ;  and  he  was  selected  to  be  the  chief 
envoy.  With  him  went  Ralegh  and  Sir  Philip 
Sidney,  and  a  fine  array  of  young  noblemen  and 
officers.  They  crossed  over  to  Holland  in  fifteen 
gaily  decked-out  vessels. 

The  embassy  was  received  with  great  pomp  by 
William  the  Silent,  Prince  of  Orange,  and  was 
entertained  with  lavish  splendor.  With  this  great 
soldier  and  statesman  Ralegh  soon  became  inti- 
mate. William  liked  the  spirited  young  courtier, 
and  Ralegh  venerated  the  hero  of  so  many  bitter 
struggles ;  and  after  the  rest  of  the  English  em- 
bassy had  gone  home,  Ralegh  still  lingered  a  while 
with  his  new  and  famous  friend.  The  projected 
marriage  with  the  Duke  of  Anjou  never  came  to 
anything  ;  for  after  all,  Elizabeth  could  not  make 
up  her  mind  to  accept  so  repulsive  a  person  as  her 
husband. 

Not  long  after  Ralegh's  return  from  Holland,  he 
received  new  evidences  of  the  queen's  favor.  He 
was  appointed  *'  Warden  of  the  Stannaries,"  or 
Cornwall  and  Devon  mines,  from  which  he  derived 
each  year  a  large  income.  Then,  two  years  later, 
he  succeeded  his  old  rival,  Sir  Christopher  Hatton, 
as  captain  of  the  Queen's   Guard  ;  so  that  now  he 


44  RALEGH  : 

was  charged  with  the  protection  of  her  person,  and 
attended  her  in  gorgeous  attire,  at  the  head  of  his 
troop,  wherever  she  went.  The  Queen's  Guards 
were  all  selected  for  their  size  and  good  looks,  and 
their  uniform  was  the  most  showy  in  England. 
Other  substantial  favors  which  the  queen  conferred 
on  Ralegh,  were  the  right  to  export  broadcloths, 
which  brought  him  enormous  profits ;  the  "  farm- 
ing of  wines,"  which  gave  him  the  right  to  grant 
licenses  everywhere  in  England  to  sell  wines,  an- 
other large  source  of  income ;  the  office  of  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Cornwall ;  and  that  of  Vice  Admiral 
of  Devon. 

Already  Ralegh  had  received  certain  estates  in 
Ireland,  which  had  been  confiscated  from  their 
rebellious  native  owners ;  and  now,  with  all  the 
other  privileges  and  licenses  which  have  been 
mentioned,  he  was  fast  becoming  a  very  rich  man  ; 
and  the  richer  he  grew,  the  more  splendidly  and 
extravagantly  did  he  dress,  and  the  more  parade 
did  he  make  of  his  state  and  show.  Meanwhile  the 
conviction  of  Anthony  Babington,  a  rich  Catholic 
gentleman,  for  plotting  to  assassinate  the  queen, 
enabled  Elizabeth  to  lavish  a  larger  gift  than  ever 
before  upon  her  favorite ;  for  she  gave  Ralegh  aU 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  45 

Babington's  large  estates,  which  lay  in  five  coun- 
ties, and  included  several  manors,  castles,  and  fine 
parks  and  game  preserves. 

It  was  towards  the  close  of  his  life  at  court,  that 
Walter  Ralegh  first  saw  a  fair  young  girl,  whose 
career  was  afterwards  to"  be  strangely  mixed  up 
with  his  own.  Lady  Arabella  Stuart,  who  had 
royal  blood  in  her  veins,  and  who,  it  then  seemed, 
might  very  likely  reign  over  England  as  its  queen, 
arrived  at  the  court;  and,  though  she  was  but 
twelve  years  of  age,  at  once  attracted  Ralegh's 
attention,  not  only  by  reason  of  her  extraordinary 
beauty,  but  by  her  surprising  brightness  of  mind. 
It  is  said  that  she  was  already  a  finished  French  and 
Italian  scholar,  and  that  her  dancing  and  musical 
talents  would  have  done  credit  to  an  accomplished 
court  damsel  of  twenty-five.  Ralegh  saw  this 
young  paragon  for  the  first  time  at  a  supper  given 
in  her  honor  at  the  house  of  old  Lord  Burleigh  ; 
and,  though  he  himself  was  more  than  double  her 
age,  was  so  fascinated  by  her  that  he  forgot  to  use 
his  knife  and  fork.  Lord  Burleigh,  observing  his 
intentness,  whispered  to  him,  with  a  sly  look,  — 

''  Ah,  Walter,  'tis  a  pity  she  is  not  more  than 
fifteen." 


46  RALEGH  : 

"  It  would  be  a  very  happy  thing,"  repUed  Ra- 
legh, with  a  smile.  He  Uttle  thought  how  his  fate 
was  to  be  woven  with  that  of  the  fair  and  bright 
young  Arabella  in  darker  days  to  come. 

Not  long  after  this  remarkable  meeting,  Ralegh's 
star  began  to  decline  at  court.  Elizabeth,  senti- 
mental as  she  was,  was  also  fickle ;  her  fancy 
lightly  passed  from  one  gallant  to  another.  For 
some  time  Leicester,  who  had  once  been  her  sole 
favorite,  and  who  desired  to  regain  her  favor,  had 
been  growing  jealous  of  his  young  friend  Ralegh's 
ascendancy  ;  and  he  had  put  forward  the  youthful 
and  impetuous  Earl  of  Essex,  for  the  purpose  of 
dividing  the  queen's  affections.  His  plan  seems 
to  have  at  last  succeeded  ;  for  Elizabeth  now  took 
a  violent  fancy  to  Essex,  and  Ralegh  soon  found 
that  his  power  over  her  heart  was  waning. 

At  last,  a  mysterious  quarrel,  the  cause  of  which 
is  not  certainly  known,  took  place  between  them. 
It  was  probably  brought  about  by  Ralegh's  jeal- 
ousy. At  all  events,  the  queen  affronted  him  before 
the  whole  court,  and  Ralegh  retired  to  his  cham- 
bers overwhelmed  with  humiliation  and  grief.  But 
his  proud  and  adventurous  spirit  was  not  to  be 
quelled  or  daunted,  even   by  so  serious  an  event. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  47 

He  soon  recovered  his  haughty  bearing,  and 
showed  Elizabeth  and  the  courtiers  that  he  was  far 
from  being  crushed  by  her  displeasure.  Finding 
that  his  influence  at  court  was  waning,  he  turned, 
like  the  courageous  man  he  was,  to  a  more  stir- 
ring occupation  than  that  of  dangling  about  a 
fickle  queen  in  palaces  and  castles.  Happily,  an 
opportunity  was  not  long  in  presenting  itself;  and 
Ralegh  seized  it  with  the  eager  enthusiasm  of  one 
whose  ambition  longed  for  conquest  and  the  renown 
of  discovery. 


48  RALEGH 


CHAPTER    IV. 

RALEGH    AS   A    COLONIZER. 

HILE  Ralegh  had  been  at  courts  he  had 
by  no  means  confined  himself  solely  to  its 
pleasures  and  gayeties.  He  had  never 
lost  his  boyish  love  of  the  sea,  his  hatred  of  Eng- 
land's Spanish  rival,  or  his  ardent  desire  to  emulate 
the  triumphs  of  Vasco  da  Gama,  Cortez,  and  Co- 
lumbus. His  thoughts  were  ever  wandering  away 
to  far  distant  and  savage^ climes.  He  often  gazed 
longingly  after  the  fleets  which  set  forth,  from 
time  to  time,  on  new  voyages  of  discovery;  and 
fancied  his  own  name  linked  with  those  of  the 
great  colonizers  of  the  age. 

It  seems  that,  for  many  years,  it  had  been  a 
conjecture  of  the  navigators,  that  China  and  the 
rest  of  Asia  might  be  reached  by  sailing  northwest- 
ward from  Europe.  Vasco  da  Gama  had  found  a 
passage  to  the  East  around  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope ;    and    Magellan    had    discovered    a    similar 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  49 

passage  by  way  of  Cape  Horn.  Both  of  these 
expeditions  had  succeeded  by  southern  passages. 
Could  not,  it  was  asked,  passages  be  found  to  the 
same  goal  by  proceeding  northward  also  ? 

This  idea  finally  took  a  strong  hold  on  the  mind 
of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  Walter  Ralegh's  gal- 
lant and  ambitious  half-brother.  With  a  sturdy 
victor  all  his  own,  Gilbert  had  no  sooner  con- 
ceived  the  project  than  he  set  about  putting  it 
into  execution.  His  zeal  had  been  greatly  stim- 
ulated by  the  voyage  of  the  intrepid  Sir  Francis 
Drake.  That  sturdy  sailor  returned  from  his  voy- 
age around  the  world  in  1580,  in  the  good  ship 
**  Golden  Hind,"  bringing  with  him  not  only  aston- 
ishing stories  of  the  countries  and  peoples  he  had 
seen,  but  his  vessels  laden  with  precious  treasures 
which  he  had  taken  from  Spanish  galleons.  Mean- 
while, Frobisher  had  made  his  successful  voyages 
to  the  North  American  coast. 

Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert's  design  now  was  to  es- 
tablish a  colony  in  Newfoundland,  and  make  that 
the  basis  of  expeditions  to  the  northwest.  In  this 
project  his  brother,  Walter  Ralegh,  eagerly  joined 
him.  The  two  brothers  fitted  out  a  small  fleet  of 
five  vessels,  in  one  of  which,  the  "  Squirrel,"  the 


50  RALEGH : 

doughty  Sir  Humphrey  himself  sailed,  Ralegh 
remaining  at  home.  This  fleet  set  out  from  Plym- 
outh in  the  early  summer  of  1583.  Ralegh  then 
affectionately  embraced  his  brother,  and  with 
much  emotion  bade  him  adieu.  He  was  destined 
never  to  see  Humphrey's  handsome  face  again. 

The  expedition  was  unfortunate  from  the  start. 
Scarcely  had  the  vessels  got  to  sea,  when  one  of 
them,  the  "Ralegh,"  deserted  its  companions.:, 
Having  at  last  reached  the  American  coast,  Gilbert 
found  it  impossible  to  establish  his  intended  colony 
there ;  for  his  men  were  restless  and  lawless,  and 
at  last  insisted  on  returning  to  England.  Gilbert 
found  himself  forced  to  yield  to  their  angry  de- 
mand, and  accordingly  re-embarked.  The  vessel 
in  which  he  himself  sailed,  the  "  Squirrel,"  proved 
to  be  very  unseaworthy,  and  his  officers  begged 
him  to  go  on  board  a  sounder  ship.  But  the  gal- 
lant commander  replied,  — 

"  No  ;  I  will  not  forsake  my  little  company  going 
homeward,  with  whom  I  have  shared  so  many 
storms  and  perils." 
.  When  the  ''Golden  Hind,"  the  best  of  the  ships, 
came  near  to  the  "  Squirrel,"  Sir  Humphrey  called 
out  cheerily  to  those  on  board, — 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  $1 

*'  Be  of  good  heart,  my  friends  ;  we  are  as  nea/ 
to  heaven  by  sea  as  by  land ! " 

It  was  the  last  time  his  comrades  on  the 
"  Golden  Hind  "  ever  heard  his  voice.  That  night 
the  ''  Squirrel "  was  sailing  a  little  in  advance  of 
the  other  ships.  As  they  looked,  the  sailors  on 
the  ''Golden  Hind"  saw  the  commander's  frail 
bark  lurch  and  heave,  and  then  sink  suddenly  and 
forever  beneath  the  waves.  Thus  the  brave  Sir 
Humphrey  Gilbert,  in  the  flower  of  his  age,  and 
in  the  zenith  of  his  renown,  found  a  watery  grave. 

Ralegh  was    overwhelmed  with  grief  when  the 
*'  Golden  Hind  "  reached  home,  bringing  the  news 
of  his  heroic  brother's  death.     But  this  sad  intelli- 
gence, far  from  discouraging  him,  only  lent  new 
energy  to    Ralegh's  schemes.     But    he  no  longer 
thought  of    Newfoundland,  or  the  northwest  pas- 
sage   to   Asia.     He    turned    his    attention    to  the 
milder  and  richer  regions  of  the  southern  coast  of 
North  America.     He  knew  that   while  the  Span- 
iards had  won  and  still  held  Florida  and  Mexico, 
the  coast  just  north  of  Florida,  and  that  of  north- 
ern South  America,  had  not  as  yet  been  settled  by 
any    rival    colony.       He    had,    at    this    time,    still 
enough  influence  with  Queen  Elizabeth  to  obtain 


52  RALEGH: 

her  aid  in  his  new  plans  ;  and  obtained  from  her 
the  right  to  establish  colonies  in  any  region  not 
already  occupied,  and  to  himself  have  the  absolute 
government  of  such  colonies  as  he  might  plant. 

With  his  ample  wealth,  the  indefatigable  Ra- 
legh found  no  trouble  in  fitting  out  an  expedi- 
tion ;  and,  the  year  after  Sir  Humphrey's  sad  end, 
he  sent  forth  two  vessels,  commanded  by  Philip 
Amadas  and  Arthur  Barbour,  to  explore  the  coast 
of  the  Carolinas.  Ralegh  himself  was  not  yet 
ready  to  go,  for  he  was  resolved  to  remain  at  court 
and  face  his  enemies  there. 

The  voyage  of  the  two  vessels  was  a  very  fortu- 
nate one,  and  the  captains  returned  to  tell  a  glow- 
ing tale  of  what,  they  had  seen  on  the  American 
shores.  The  balmy  atmosphere,  the  earth  teeming 
with  luscious  fruits  and  brilliant  flowers ;  the  fine- 
looking  and  friendly  savages ;  the  beautiful  harbors 
and  rivers ;  the  plentiful  game  and  abundance  of 
delicious  fish,  the  magnificent  forests,  the  spice- 
laden  breezes,  —  these  were  the  subjects  of  their 
enthusiastic  descriptions.  * 

The  queen,  dehghted  with  the  account  of  the 
expedition  which  Ralegh  gave  her,  at  once  named 
the  fair  country  thus  made  known  by  the  captains. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  53 

"Virginia,"  that  men  might  know  that  the  country 
was  explored  in  the  time  of  the  virgin  queen. 

Ralegh  was  wild  with  delight,  and  could  not 
rest  until  he  had  begun  his  preparations  to  follow 
up  this  expedition  by  another  and  larger  one.  So 
busy  was  he  with  these  engrossing  plans,  that  he 
was  now  rarely  seen  at  court.  He  spent  his  time 
inspecting  his  new  fleet,  studying  his  charts,  and 
selecting  the  men  to  whom  to  confide  the  new 
venture.  A  fleet  of  seven  vessels,  with  one  hun- 
dred colonists,  among  whom  was  a  famous  math- 
ematician named  Thomas  Hariot,  and  a  sea-worn 
voyager,  Thomas  Cavendish,  set  sail  in  April, 
1585,  under  the  command  of  Sir  Richard  Gren- 
ville.  The  second  in  command  vyas  Ralph  Lane. 
Ralegh  promised  each  of  the  colonists  that  he 
should  have  at  least  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
the  new  country.  The  fleet  in  due  time  reached 
the  lovely  and  fertile  shores  of  Virginia.  But  un- 
happily Grenville,  the  commander,  was  a  man  of 
fierce  and  cruel  character,  and  eager  to  become 
suddenly  rich.  No  sooner  had  he  landed  than  he 
began  to  treat  the  kindly-disposed  savages  with 
harshness  and  rapacity.  He  tried  to  seize  their 
treasures,  and  when  they  resisted,  he  burned  their 


54  RALEGH : 

villages,  and  put  them  to  death.  A  quarrel,  more- 
over, soon  broke  out  between  Grenville  and  Ralph 
Lane.  At  last  Grenville,  disgusted  at  the  small 
gains  he  had  made,  set  sail  for  England,  leaving 
Lane  and  the  colony  behind. 

Lane  and  his  comrades  now  set  to  work  to  estab- 
lish the  settlement,  and  made  choice,  for  this  pur- 
pose, of  the  island  of  Roanoke,  where  a  fort  soon 
rose  on  the  bank.  But,  resting  content  with  this, 
the  ^ew  colonists  neglected  to  build  houses,  or  to 
plant  crops.  They  seemed  to  think  that  they 
could  live  on  the  wild  fruits  of  the  earth  ;  and 
their  heads  were  full  of  the  dazzling  stories  of  the 
Spanish  discoveries  of  gold  and  silver.  They 
imagined  Virginia  to  be  the  true  El  Dorado,  and 
instead  of  settling  down  to  the  laborious  task  of 
farming,  as  they  should  have  done,  they  spent 
their  time  scouring  about  on  the  main  land  in 
search  of  mines. 

Meanwhile,  their  treatment  of  the  once  gentle 
natives  was  so  harsh  that  the  Indians  soon  be- 
came very  hostile.  The  colonists  at  first  received 
their  supplies  of  provisions  from  the  neighboring 
tribes  ;  but  now  the  Indians  refused  to  give  them 
food.     In  the  many  conflicts  which  the  English  had 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  55 

with  the  natives,  they  always  came  off  victorious  ; 
but  the  need  of  provisions  soon  reduced  the  colony 
to  a  desperate  condition.  They  found  themselves 
obliged  to  subsist  on  shell-fish,  and  disease  soon 
broke  out  among  the  little  company. 

A  happy  accident  at  last  saved  them  from  the 
agonies  of  actual  starvation.  One  fine  morning 
the  eyes  of  the  colonists  were  gladdened  by  the 
sight  of  a  large  fleet  of  sail  in  the  offing,  and  ere 
long  the  fleet  had  anchored  off  Roanoke  Island. 
It  proved  to  be  an  expedition  headed  by  the  gal- 
lant old  sailor,  Sir  Francis  Drake,  who  was  return- 
ing to  England  with  the  large  booty  which  he  had 
taken  from  the  Spaniards  in  the  southern  seas. 

The  colonists  begged  Drake  to  take  them  back 
to  England  with  him  ;  and  accordingly  all  hands 
set  sail,  and  left  Roanoke  once  more  to  the  native 
tribes,  glad  enough  at  the  prospect  of  getting  home 
again.  But  Drake  had  not  been  gone  long  be- 
fore Grenville,  who  had  been  sent  back  by  Ralegh 
with  three  vessels  to  carry  aid  to  his  colony,  arrived 
at  the  island.  To  his  utter  amazement,  he  found  it 
quite  deserted,  and  the  fort  standing  there  amid 
the  trees.  Grenville  resolved  to  leave  some  of  his 
men  there,  and  return   to   England ;   and  accord- 


56  RALEGH : 

ingly  fifteen  men,  supplied  with  provisions  for  two 
years,  remained  behind.  In  the  following  spring, 
Ralegh  sent  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  colonists, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  John  White. 
When  these  reached  Roanoke,  they  found  that  the 
fifteen  men  who  had  been  left  by  Grenville  had 
miserably  perished,  for  the  most  part  by  the  at- 
tacks of  the  now  hostile  Indians  while  the  fort 
had  been  utterly  destroyed. 

White  landed  his  colonists  on  the  island,  and  as 
^est  he  could,  sought  to  repair  the  ravages  of  the 
yiatives.  The  huts  left  by  the  last  colony  were,  hap- 
pily, still  standing,  and  White's  company  at  first 
seemed  to  thrive  in  their  new  and  remote  home. 
A  number  of  them  had  their  wives  and  children 
with  them.  Not  very  long  after  the  landing.  Cap- 
tain White's  daughter,  the  wife  of  a  young  colo- 
nist, gave  birth  to  the  first  white  child  ever  born 
in  the  Virginia  colony.  The  child  was  christened 
"Virginia  Dare," 

When  the  ships  had  got  ready  to  sail  for  Eng- 
land again.  White  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would 
return  in  them,  give  Ralegh  an  account  of  what 
he  had  found,  and  procure  more  stores  and  colo- 
nists  for   the   new  settlement.     But   on  reaching 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  57 

England,  he  found  that  Ralegh  was  too  much 
occupied  with  other  affairs  to  lend  him  the  aid  for 
which  he  had  come.  So,  after  a  brief  stay  in 
England,  the  persevering  captain  returned  alone 
to  Virginia,  in  a  ship  which  was  bound  for  the 
West  Indies. 

As,  on  a  hot  day  in  August,  White's  vessel  ap- 
proached the  shores  of  Roanoke,  he  was  amazed 
and  alarmed  to  see  a  great  fire  raging  on  the  shore. 
Arrived  within  a  short  distance,  he  caused  a  trum- 
pet to  be  sounded,  and  with  his  crew  set  up  a  loud 
cry.  But  no  one  appeared  to  answer  his  call,  and 
his  fears  were  now  raised  to  their  highest  pitch, 
when,  instead  of  any  English  people,  he  saw  a 
number  of  savages  running  through  the  bushes  on 
the  island.  He  hastened  to  land,  and  ran  fran- 
tically to  the  huts  where  he  had  left  his  com- 
panions. The  huts  were  quite  deserted.  They 
were,  indeed,  in  a  state  of  ruin.  Many  of  the 
articles  which  the  colonists  had  had  —  books, 
clothing,  and  pictures  —  were  strewn  about  in  con- 
fusion on  the  ground. 

White  searched  everywhere  in  vain  for  any 
traces  of  the  colony.  He  was  destined  never  to 
see  his  fair  daughter  or  her  little  child  again.     At 


58  RALEGH: 

last,  giving  up  his  search,  he  once  more  set  sail, 
and  after  the  cruise  in  the  West  Indies  had  been 
completed,  returned  home  to  tell  his  harrowing 
tale.  Nothing  was  ever  afterwards  heard  of  the 
colony  of  Roanoke. 

Ralegh  was  deeply  discouraged  when  he  heard 
that  the  result  of  all  his  expenditure  and  exertions 
had  been  death  and  desolation.  But  he  was  a  man 
of  resolute  and  fearless  character,  and  he  resolved 
to  leave  nothing  undone  to  rescue  the  poor  people 
who  had  been  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  savages,  if 
they  still  perchance  survived.  At  various  times 
he  sent  out  five  separate  expeditions,  to  discover, 
if  possible,  their  whereabouts,  and  render  them 
aid.  Although  engrossed  with  many  other  mat- 
ters, and  having  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  for- 
tune, he  could  not  give  up  his  favorite  scheme  of 
founding  a  settlement  on  American  soil.  But  his 
sailors,  though  they  penetrated  the  wilds  of  Vir- 
ginia again  and  again,  could  find  no  vestige  what- 
ever of  the  fate  of  the  devoted  little  band  ;  and 
Ralegh  was  compelled  at  last  to  conclude  that  the 
colony  had  been  massacred,  one  and  all,  by  the 
Indians  of  the  vicinity. 

One  result,  very  important  to  the  world  for  good 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  59 

or  ill,  followed  the  return  of  the  men  who  had  gone 
out  with  Grenville  and  Lane,  and  who  had  returned 
to  England  in  Drake's  fleet.  One  of  these,  as  has 
been  said,  was  a  man  of  considerable  learning, 
named  Thomas  Hariot.  Hariot  had  taken  keen 
pleasure  in  exploring  the  new  country,  and  was 
careful  to  write  down  all  that  he  saw  there.  He 
examined  all  the  native  products,  and  minutely 
described  their  appearance  and  properties  in  his 
notes.  One  of  these  plants,  especially,  attracted 
his  curiosity,  and  caused  him  not  only  to  study  its 
qualities,  but  to  carry  it  with  him  to  England. 
He  thus  described  it : 

*'  There  is  an  herb  which  is  sowed  apart  by  itself, 
and  is  called  by  the  inhabitants,  Yppowoc.  The 
Spaniards  generally  call  it  tobacco.  The  leaves 
thereof,  being  dried  and  brought  into  powder, 
they  used  to  take  the  fume  or  smoke  thereof,  by 
sucking  it  through  pipes  of  clay  into  their  stom- 
achs and  heads.  We  ourselves,  during  the  time 
we  were  there,  used  to  suck  it  after  their  manner, 
as  also  since  our  return,  and  have  found  many  rare 
and  wonderful  experiments  of  the  virtues  thereof, 
of  which  the  relation  would  require  a  volume  of 
itself.     The  use  of  it  by  so  many  of  late,  men  and 


6o  RALEGH  : 

women  of  great  calling,  as  else,  and  some  learned 
physicians  also,  is  sufficient  witness." 

When  Hariot  saw  Ralegh  on  his  return,  he  did 
not  fail  to  tell  him  about  this  wonderful  herb ; 
and  Ralegh,  whose  curiosity  was  greatly  aroused, 
caused  a  jeweller  to  make  him  a  silver  pipe,  after 
the  fashion  of  the  rude  Indian  clay  pipes,  some  of 
which  Hariot  had  taken  care  to  bring  with  him. 
Ralegh  then  began  to  smoke  the  tobacco,  and 
soon  grew  to  like  it  very  much,  so  that,  when  at 
home,  he  was  scarcely  ever  without  his  pipe. 

On  one  of  the  first  occasions  when  he  thus 
indulged  himself,  he  was  sitting  cosily  by  his  fire- 
side, pipe  in  mouth.  The  smoke  was  curling  in 
dense,  graceful  clouds  from  his  mouth.  Just  as  he 
was  puffing  out  a  particularly  thick  cloud,  one  of 
his  servants  happened  to  enter  the  room  with  a 
tankard  of  ale  for  his  master.  Seeing  the  smoke  all 
about  Ralegh's  head,  he  thought  him  on  fire ;  and 
without  further  ado  threw  the  ale  full  in  Ralegh's 
face,  and  then  ran  down  stairs  with  all  his  might, 
crying  out  that  his  master  was  burning  up. 

Very  soon  the  example  of  so  elegant  and  fash- 
ionable a  cavalier  as  Ralegh  was  followed  by  many 
other    courtiers,    and    pipe-smoking    came    much 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  6l 

into  vogue  amon.i;  the  higher  orders  of  the  Eng- 
lish. Queen  Ehzabeth,  on  hearing  of  the  new 
luxury  which  Ralegh  had  found,  expressed  her 
curiosity  to  see  him  enjoy  it,  and  sat  by  his  side, 
with  eyes  wide  open,  as  he  puffed  the  curling 
smoke  from  his  pipe.  It  is  said  that  she  herself 
was  one  day  so  eager  to  try  the  taste  and  effect  of 
tobacco,  that  she  took  Ralegh's  pipe  in  her  own 
royal  mouth,  but  became  so  dizzy  and  ill  from  the 
effects  that  she  never  ventured  upon  the  experi- 
ment again. 

On  one  occasion,  when  she  was  watching  Ralegh 
smoking,  she  said  to  him,  — 

''You  are  a  very  witty  man  ;  but  I  will  wager 
that  you  cannot  tell  me  the  weight  of  that  smoke 
that  comes  from  your  pipe." 

*'  I  can,  indeed,  your  majesty,"  was  Ralegh's  con- 
fident reply.  He  at  once  took  as  much  tobacco  as 
would  fill  his  pipe,  and  exactly  weighed  it.  Having 
then  smoked  it  up  in  his  pipe,  he  in  like  manner 
weighed  the  ashes.  '*  Now,  your  majesty,"  said  he, 
smiling,  "  the  difference  between  these  two  weights 
is  the  weight  of  the  smoke.'' 

The  queen  acknowledged  that  she  was  beaten, 
and  laughingly  paid  the  wager. 


62  RALEGH  I 

Ralegh's  dreams  of  founding  colonies  in  Amer- 
ica were  sadly  dispelled  by  the  fate  of  those  who 
had  gone  and  perished  there;  and  other  events 
crowding  upon  him,  and  with  his  purse  depleted, 
he  was  forced,  for  a  while,  to  forego  further  efforts 
with  that  object  in  view.  He  never  lost  sight,  how- 
ever, of  his  brilliant  projects,  and  firmly  resolved 
that,  some  day  in  the  future,  he  would  resume 
them.  Many  years  after,  when  heavy  misfortune 
had  overtaken  him,  he  wrote  of  the  Virginia  col- 
ony, in  a  desperate  mood,  "  I  shall  yet  live  to  see 
it  an  English  nation."     And  he  did. 

During  all  this  time  he  had  been  engaged  in 
struggling  with  his  rivals  and  enemies  at  Eliza- 
beth's court.  He  had  overcome  the  queen's  anger 
aga^inst  him,  and  once  more  basked  in  the  royal 
sunshine.  He  still  displayed  such  splendor  of 
living  as  his  means  would  allow,  and  his  renown 
had  been  greatly  increased  by  his  spirit  in  attempt- 
ing to  establish  colonies  in  the  new  world.  His 
visfor  and  ambition  had  become  reco2:nized,  and 
he  was  now  in  the  very  front  rank  of  England's 
famous  men.  His  existence  could  never  be  an  idle 
one  ;  nor  did  the  festivities  and  gay  indolence  of 
court   life  satisfy   the   restless   aspirations   of  his 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  63 

soul.  Despite  the  abandonment,  for  the  while, 
of  his  designs  in  America,  he  found  plenty  of 
active  employment  on  his  hands,  and  pursued 
his  career  with  all  his  sturdy  and  unflinching 
perseverance. 


64  RALEGH  : 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE    INVINCIBLE    ARMADA. 

HE  first  enterprise  to  which  Ralegh  now 
turned  his  attention,  was  the  care  of  those 
large  estates  in  Ireland  which  had  been 
granted  to  him  for  his  military  services  there. 
These  extensive  and  fertile  lands  had  been  taken 
away  from  their  Irish  owners,  who  had  rebelled 
against  the  crown  ;  and  were  now  pretty  much 
deserted.  Ralegh  made  up  his  mind  to  have  his 
acres  cultivated,  and  so  he  entered  vigorously  into 
a  scheme  for  settling  English  peasants  upon  them. 
He  himself  went  to  Ireland,  and  spent  several 
years  in  improving  his  estates  ;  engaging,  at  the 
same  time,  in  many  occupations  and  ventures, 
among  others,  the  building  of  casks  and  barrels 
from  the  fine  Irish  timber.  .  But  he  found  so  many 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  his  projects,  and  was  so 
hindered  by  the  machinations  of  his  enemies  at 
court,  that  he  made  up  his  mind  to  sell  his  Irish 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  6^ 

estates,  and  to  return  to  England.  After  he  had 
completed  the  sale,  he  wrote :  "  There  remains  to 
me  but  an  old  castle  and  domain,  which  are  yet  in 
the  occupation  of  the  old  Countess  of  Desmond, 
for  her  jointure." 

This  Countess  of  Desmond  might,  indeed,  be 
called  "old."  She  had  been  a  belle  in  the  court 
of  King  Edward  the  Fourth,  and  lived  in  the 
reigns  of  no  less  than  nine  English  sovereigns  ; 
and  finally  died,  it  is  said,  by  falling  out  of  an 
apple-tree,  at  the  wonderful  age  of  one  hundred 
and  forty. 

Events  soon  prepared  a  fresh  and  more  stirring 
occupation  for  Ralegh.  One  of  his  most  ardent 
feelings,  all  his  life  long,  was  his  bitter  hatred  of 
the  Spaniards,  who,  at  that  time,  were  the  rivals 
and  foes  of  England  alike  on  land  and  sea.  As  a 
statesman,  Ralegh  always  advised  resistance  to 
Spain  ;  and,  as  a  soldier,  no  cavalier  of  the  age 
more  eagerly  welcomed  the  prospect  of  a  struggle 
with  that  arrogant  power. 

The  moment  was  at  hand  when  his  desire  in  this 
respect  was  to  be  fully  gratified.  The  beautiful 
.but  hapless  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  had  just  been 
beheaded  in  London,  by  the  stern  command  of  her 


66  RALEGH  : 

royal  cousin,  Elizabeth.  The  cause  of  Mary  had 
always  been  warmly  championed  by  Philip  the 
Second,  King  of  Spain.  Her  violent  death  aroused 
his  anger,  and  gave  him  the  pretext  to  assail  Eng- 
land which  he  had  long  sought.  He  was  deter- 
mined, if  possible,  to  depose  Elizabeth  from  her 
throne,  and  to  force  the  Catholic  faith  upon  her 
subjects. 

Spain  was  a  very  different  power  in  these  days 
from  what  we  see  her  now.  She  was  a  terror  to 
all  Europe,  and  had  carried  her  conquests  to  the 
German  ocean.  She  had  proved  herself  more  than 
a  match  for  France,  even  in  those  chivalrous  days 
when  France  was  ruled  by  the  brilliant  and  gallant 
Francis  the  First.  Philip  himself  had  been  the 
husband  of  Queen  Mary,  Elizabeth's  sister  and 
predecessor,  and  imagined  that  he  had  some  right 
to  interfere  in  English  affairs.  He  was  greatly 
incensed  when  Elizabeth  restored  the  Protestant 
faith  ;  and  he  had  long  designed  an  attack  upon 
her,  in  the  name  of  the  ancient  religion  of  which  he 
was  so  redoubtable  a  champion. 

So  Philip  now  made  vigorous  preparations  to 
carry  out  this  project.  No  sooner  did  the  English 
hear  of  his  purpose,  than   Sir  Francis  Drake  in- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  6/ 

dignantly  declared  that  he  would  "  singe  Philip's 
beard  ;"  and  with  a  fleet  of  twenty-five  war  ships 
boldly  entered  the  Spanish  port  of  Cadiz,  where 
he  sank  thirty-four  ships,  and  captured  and  took 
away  with  him  four  more,  before  the  Spanish  king 
so  much  as  heard  of  his  attack. 

At  last  Philip,  in  spite  of  this  loss,  managed  to 
collect  and  equip  a  splendid  fleet  of  no  less  than 
one  hundred  and    thirty-two  war   ships;   and   on 
these  he  put  a  force  of  more  than  fifty  thousand 
soldiers  and  sailors.     The  news  of  this  formidable 
armament  filled  the  English  court   and   the  Eng- 
lish  people  with   dismay  ;    for   its  destination  was 
well  known  to  be   the    English    coast.     Elizabeth 
knew  but  too  well  how  inferior  her  own  navy  was 
to  cope  with  the  invading  fleet.     She  had,  all  told, 
but  thirty-four  war  ships,  and  these  were  manned 
by  less  than  seven  thousand   men.     But  one  thing 
greatly  encouraged    her.      Her    Catholic    subjects 
were   as    loyal    as    the   Protestants,   and    quite    as 
eager  to.  repel   the    assault   of  the  Catholic  mon- 
arch.     All    England    was    one    in    this    stern    re- 
solve. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  for  the  Spaniards 
were  on  the  point  of  setting  forth.     A  desperate 


6S  RALEGH  : 

effort  must  be  made  to  meet  and  defeat  them.  The 
merchant  vessels  from  all  the  English  ports  has- 
tened to  the  rendezvous  selected  for  them,  and 
prepared  to  take  part  in  the  fight  ;  while  many 
of  the  wealthy  nobles  and  courtiers  hurriedly  set 
about  fitting  up  vessels  at  their  own  expense.  Two 
famous  admirals,  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham  and 
Sir  Francis  Drake,  were  put  at  the  head  of  the 
fleet  which  was  thus  rapidly  formed  ;  and  Drake 
soon  reported  that  he  had  succeeded  in  collecting 
sixty  sail  at  Plymouth. 

The  approaching  struggle  fired  Ralegh  with  mil- 
itary ardor.  He  was  anxious  to  bear  his  part  in 
inflicting  defeat  upon  the  hateful  Spaniards.  No 
sooner  did  the  peril  become  known  than  he  has- 
tened down  to  his  native  shire,  to  recruit  men  and 
strengthen  the  defences  of  that  part  of  the  coast. 
He  worked  with  all  his  wonted  vigor,  and  sent 
troop  after  troop  of  sturdy  Cornish  and  Devon 
men  to  the  headquarters  of  the  army  at  Tilbury, 
where  the  heroic  queen  was  infusing  her  own 
dauntless  spirit  into  the  devoted  soldiery.  One 
day,  Elizabeth  appeared  before  her  troops,  and  thus 
harangued  them  : 

"  I    have   but   the  body  of  a  weak  and .  feeble 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  •    69 

woman,"  said  she ;  "  but  I  have  the  heart  of  a 
king,  and  of  a  king  of  England,  too.  I  think  it 
foul  scorn  that  Spain  should  dare  to  invade  the 
borders  of  my  realm  ;  to  which,  rather  than  any 
dishonor  should  grow  by  me,  I  myself  will  take  up 
arms;  I  myself  will  be  your  general,  judge,  and 
rewarder  of  every  one  of  your  virtues  in  the  field." 

An  army  led  by  such  a  monarch  was  not  likely 
to  flinch  before  the  enemy. 

The  Spanish  fleet  had  already  appeared  in  sight 
of  the  white  English  cliffs,  when  Ralegh,  having 
fulfilled  his  errand  in  Devon,  joined  one  of  the 
English  ships  ;  and  from  that  time  he  was  one 
of  the  bravest  among  the  heroes  who  so  despe- 
rately fought,  and,  finally,  so  splendidly  overcame, 
the  presumptuous  invader.  The  stately  fleet  of  the 
Spaniards  sailed  slowly  and  in  close  array,  up  the 
English  Channel.  Lord  Howard,  with  seventy 
vessels,  was  lying  in  wait  for  it  at  Plymouth  ;  but, 
instead  of  issuing  forth  and  attacking  the  Span- 
iards when  they  came  opposite  to  him,  he  let  them 
pass,  and  then  fell  upon  them  in  the  rear.  He 
was  too  wise  to  join  battle  with  them,  and  con- 
tented himself  with  following  them  up,  shooting 
away  their    masts,   and    worrying   them    with    his 


70  RALEGH : 

lighter  and  swifter  craft.  The  Spanish  ships  drew 
still  closer  together,  and  advanced  up  the  Channel. 
Then  the  bold  Drake  suddenly  issued  out  of  port, 
seized  a  big  ship  which  had  become  so  much  dam- 
aged that  she  had  fallen  behind,  and  carried  her 
in  triumph  into  the  harbor.  As  Lord  Howard's 
fleet  followed  the  Spaniards,  it  every  moment  grew 
larger  and  larger  ;  for  out  of  every  little  harbor  and 
inlet,  as  it  went  along,  ships,  barques,  and  every 
size  and  sort  of  vessel  issued,  and  glided  into  line 
behind  or  at  the  sides  of  the  English  men-of-war. 

At  last  Lord  Howard  resolved  to  make  a  more 
vigorous  attack  upon  the  enemy.  He  divided  his 
fleet  into  four  squadrons,  of  one  of  which  he  him- 
self took  command  ;  the  other  three  were  entrusted 
to  Drake,  Frobisher,  and  Hawkins.  First,  Fro- 
bisher  and  Hawkins  set  forth  and  attacked  the 
Spanish  ships  off  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  so  gal- 
lantly handled  the  Spaniards,  that  they  won  the 
first  laurels  of  the  struggle.  They  followed  close 
upon  the  enemy  as  his  vessels  passed  hurriedly 
through  the  Strait  of  Calais,  and  more  than  one 
proud  galleon  sank  beneath  the  shower  of  their 
shots.  But  now  the  Spaniards  were  about  to  re- 
ceive a  reinforcement  from  Dunkirk,  where  a  fleet 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  /I 

under  the  Prince  of  Parma  was    lying  in  wait  to 
join  them. 

Lord  Howard  saw  that  no  time  was  to  be  lost. 
He  decided  to  deal  a  deadly  blow  at  the  enemy  by 
a  cunning  and  effectual  stratagem.     He  chose  a 
number  of  his  least  seaworthy  ships,  and  ordered 
his  men   to  pack    them   to   the   decks   with    gun- 
powder and   pitch.     Then  he  waited  for  night  to 
come.     When  the  night  was  at  its  darkest,  these 
ships  were  floated  out  in  the  direction  of  the  Span- 
ish fleet   and   set  on   fire.     The  English  watched 
the  result  with  anxious  hearts.     The  fate  of  Eng- 
land hung  upon  the  floating  messengers  of  destruc- 
tion.    They  had  not  long  to  wait.     The  burning 
ships  were  quickly  carried  by  the  wind  and  tide 
into   the    very   heart    of    the    Spanish    armament. 
Then  followed  a  scene  which  beggars  description. 
The  night  was  filled  and  lit  up  by  a  lurid   glare. 
The  explosions  of  gunpowder  were  deafening,  and 
seemed  to  echo   each  other  in   their  terrible   din. 
Some  of  the   Spanish   ships  caught  fire,  and  the 
flames  were  seen  leaping   up  their  stately  masts, 
and  shrivelling  in  an  instant  the  white,  wide-spread 
sails.    And  now  ensued  a  great  commotion  amongst 
the  fleet.     With  all  haste,  the  as  yet  undamaged 


f  2  RALEGH  I 

galleons  hoisted  sail,  and  put  out  to  sea,  leaving 
those  which  were  afire  to  their  fate.  A  heavy  gale 
now  came  up  to  aid  the  plans  of  the  Enghsh,  and 
contribute  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  foe.  Many 
3f  the  Spanish  ships  were  driven  upon  the  French 
coast  north  of  Calais. 

Howard  and  Drake  did  not  lose  a  moment  in 
following  up  the  advantage  thus  gained.  They 
sailed  promptly  down  upon  the  distressed  Span- 
ish squadrons,  and  gave  them  broadside  after 
broadside.  For  six  terrible  hours  the  rain  of 
the  English  shot  and  shell  poured  unceasingly 
on  the  decks  and  sides  of  the  wavering  ves- 
sels. They  finally  sailed  in  all  haste  northward, 
the  English  ships  following  ;  but  by  the  time 
the  Spaniards  came  opposite  the  Norwegian  coast, 
the  English  ammunition  gave  out,  and  they  were 
forced  to  give  up  the  pursuit,  and  seek  their  har- 
bors again.  The  ships  put  into  port,  and  took  in 
fpesh  supplies  of  provisions,  powder,  and  shot,  so 
as  to  be  prepared  for  the  enemy  in  case  he  had  the 
hardihood  to  repeat  his  attack.  But  the  precaution 
proved  needless.  The  ill-fated  Spanish  galleons 
were  overtaken  on  the  Norwegian  coast  by  a  ter- 
rific tempest.     Some  of  them  were  stranded  there  ; 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  '] -i^ 

some  met  their  fate  on  the  rock-bound  shores  of 
Scotland  ;  and  only  fifty-three  of  the  gallant  array 
which  had  set  sail  from  Spain  ever  returned  thither 
again.  Thus  was  the  "Invincible  Armada"  of 
Spain  repelled  by  the  valor  and  genius  of  Howard 
and  Drake,  seconded  by  such  brave  men  as  Haw- 
kins, Frobisher,  and,  we  may  well  add,  Ralegh. 

The  rejoicings  at  the  court  of  Elizabeth  over 
this  magnificent  victory  may  be  well  imagined. 
The  principal  heroes  of  the  fight  were  received 
by  the  queen  with  delighted  and  lavish  welcome, 
and  received  many  noble  rewards  for  their  con- 
duct. The  court  held  high  festival  for  several 
weeks.  The  days  were  spent  in  fine  cavalcades, 
tournaments,  and  shows ;  and  the  nights  were  lit 
up  by  gorgeous  illuminations  and  fireworks,  and 
were  quickly  sped  in  masquerades  and  balls 
Among  the  rest,  Ralegh  took  a  lively  part  in 
thexe  rejoicings.  He  appeared  at  court  in  all 
the  splendor  of  the  most  costly  apparel,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  warriors  who 
surrounded  the  throne  of  the  maiden  monarch. 
He  seemed  once  more  to  be  restored  to  favor,  and 
began  again  to  cherish  hopes  of  securing  the 
queen's  affection. 


74  RALEGH  : 

But  he  soon  found  that  the  brilliant  and  hand- 
some Earl  of  Essex  had  completely  won  her  heart. 
Essex  was  so  bent  upon  supplanting  Ralegh,  that 
he  sought  a  quarrel  with  him  ;  and  is  even  said  to 
have  challenged  him  to  a  duel  Ralegh  was  too 
proud  to  remain  at  court  and  see  another  preferred 
to  him  in  the  queen's  favor ;  and  so  he  again 
departed  from  it,  and  once  more  sought  rest  and 
consolation  in  the  remoteness  of  Ireland. 

There  was  living  at  that  time  at  Kilcolman,  a 
lonely  castle  perched  on  a  lofty  summit,  and  over- 
looking a  lovely  lake,  an  old  friend  and  companion 
of  Ralegh's.  This  was  no  other  than  the  famous 
poet,  Edmund  Spenser.  Spenser  had  known  Ra- 
legh well  in  Ireland  ten  years  before ;  and  not 
only  their  common  misfortunes,  but  their  mutual 
love  of  literature,  had  drawn  them  together  in  inti- 
mate friendship.  They  had  fought  side  by  side  in 
the  old  Irish  rebellion,  and  as  they  marched,  had 
forgotten  their  hardships  and  their  grim  task  in 
their  absorbing  talks  about  poetry  and  history. 

Ralegh  now  bethought  him  of  the  gentle  Spenser, 
and,  knowing  that  he  would  be  right  welcome,  lost 
no  time  in  repairing  to  Kilcolman,  and  once  more 
enjoying  the  companionship  of  his  poetic  friend. 


HIS  EXPLOITS  AND  VOYAGES.         75 

The  days  spent  in  the  beautiful  seclusion  of  this 
retreat  were  among  the  happiest  that  Ralegh  ever 
knew.  There,  amid  the  tranquillity  of  the  scene, 
far  from  the  heart-burnings  and  mortifications  of 
the  royal  court,  in  company  with  a  sweet-natured, 
affectionate  friend,  the  hours  sped  only  too  pleas- 
antly and  swiftly.  The  two  comrades  wandered 
together  in  the  forest,  or  lolled  on  the  green  banks 
of  the  glassy  lake,  and,  in  their  communion,  forgot 
all  the  carking  cares  and  troubles  of  the  world. 
Spenser  read  to  Ralegh  the  poems  he  had  been 
writing  ;  and  Ralegh  brought  out  poems  which  he, 
too,  had  written,  and  conned  them  over  to  Spenser 
as  they  rechned.  Spenser  has  left  a  record  in 
verse  of  those  happy  days,  in  which  he  says  : 

"  He  piped  ;  I  sung  ;  and  when  he  sung,  I  piped  ; 
By  change  of  turns,  each  making  other  merry; 
Neither  envying  other,  or  envied  ; 
So  piped  we,  until  we  both  were  weary." 

Not  long  before  Ralegh's  coming,  Spenser  had 
begun  the  great  poem  which  was  to  make  his  fame 
immortal  ;  and  one  day,  as  they  sat  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  old  castle's  ivied  wall,  he  timidly 
brought  out  the  stanzas  he  had  thus  far  written, 
and   read   them   with   trembhng  voice.     Then    he 


76  RALEGH  : 

told  Ralegh  the  plan  of  the  poem  which  his  glow- 
ing fancy  had  constructed.  Ralegh  warmly  de- 
clared that  the  verses  were  much  the  finest  that 
Spenser  had  ever  written,  and  implored  him  to 
follow  out  the  plan  he  had  described.  But  for  his 
eager  encouragement,  the  "  Faerie  Queen  "  might 
never  have  seen  the  light ;  but  his  ardent  words 
fired  Spenser's  ambition,  and  from  that  time  he 
labored  strenuously  upon  his  great  work  until  it 
was  completed  and  given  to  the  world. 

When  a  part  of  the  "  Faerie  Queen "  was  fin- 
ished, Ralegh  returned  to  the  court,  and  made  it 
known  to  Elizabeth,  who  was  so  delighted  with  its 
beauty,  and  also  with  the  eloquent  compliments 
which  it  showered  upon  herself,  that  she  took  both 
Spenser  and  Ralegh  for  a  while  into  her  favor 
again.  But  alas  for  the  ingratitude  of  monarchs  ! 
Spenser  was  soon  neglected,  and  even  found  his 
Irish  property  taken  from  him ;  and  died,  at  last, 
in  great  poverty  and  misery. 

The  kindness  with  which  the  queen  treated  Ra- 
legh after  his  return  from  Ireland,  was  destined  to 
vanish  almost  as  quickly  as  it  came.  It  happened 
that  there  resided  at  this  time  at  the  court,  a  beau- 
tiful, golden-haired  young  maid  of  honor,  named 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  // 

Elizabeth  Throgmorton.  No  sooner  had  Ralegh 
seen  her,  than  he  fell  violently  in  love  with  her. 
But  he  was  well  aware  of  the  extremely  jealous 
nature  of  the  queen.  In  spite  of  her  preference 
for  Essex,  Queen  EHzabeth  was  quite  unwilling 
that  Ralegh,  her  less  favored  lover,  should  transfer 
his  affections  to  another.  She  watched  him  nar- 
rowly, and  would  bluntly  upbraid  him  if  he  showed 
especial  attention  to  any  of  the  young  ladies  of 
her  court.  So  Ralegh,  in  paying  his  court  to 
EHzabeth  Throgmorton,  was  compelled  to  do  so 
with  great  caution  and  secrecy.  The  young  lady 
fully  reciprocated  his  love,  but  was  as  much  afraid 
of  the  queen  as  he  himself 

It  chanced  one  day,  however,  that  the  queen 
discovered  what  was  going  on  between  her  maid 
of  honor  and  the  cavalier.  Her  rage  knew  no 
bounds.  She  berated  Ralegh  before  her  ladies, 
and  forbade  him  to  come  to  court ;  and  fiercely 
ordered  the  maid  to  remain  a  prisoner  in  her  room, 
and  on  no  account  to  see  Ralegh  again. 

This  misadventure  caused  Ralegh  once  more  to 
turn  his  thoughts  from  the  court,  and  to  seek  a 
new  opportunity  for  his  active  spirit.  Happily 
there  was  always  a  chance  for  adventure  and  for- 


78  RALEGH : 

tune,  in  the  expeditions  which  were  constantly 
setting  out  to  attack  and  capture  Spanish  gal- 
leons ;  and  Ralegh,  in  order  not  only  to  give 
himself  a  stirring  occupation,  but  to  divert  the 
anger  of  the  queen,  plunged  with  all  his  ardor 
into  these  schemes  of  conflict  and  plunder. 


HIS   EXPLOITS   AND    VOYAGES.  79 


CHAPTER  VI. 

RALEGH    A    PRISONER. 

N  the  later  years  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
the  favorite  occupation  of  many  EngHsh 
adventurers  of  wealth  and  noble  birth  was 
to  fit  out  squadrons  and  send  them  forth  to  assail 
and  capture  Spanish  ships  on  the  high  seas.  The 
hostility  between  the  two  nations  still  burned  with 
its  old  ferocity,  and  was  constantly  kept  alive  by 
their  rivalry  and  greed.  The  Spanish  galleons, 
laden  often  with  precious  cargoes  gleaned  both  in 
Asia  and  in  America,  were  rich  prizes,  which 
proved  very  tempting  to  English  privateers;  and 
many  were  the  fierce  sea-battles  which  ensued 
between  them. 

Even  Queen  Elizabeth  herself  did  not  disdain  to 
aid  her  courtiers  in  fitting  out  such  expeditions, 
and  was  as  eager  as  they  that  the  Spanish  galleons 
should  be  captured  and  brought  into  English  ports. 
When  such  a  prize  was  secured,  the  queen  herself 


8o  RALEGH : 

was  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  booty.  This  was 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  piracy ;  but  the  cus- 
tom of  those  times  made  it  honorable  even  for 
men  of  high  rank  and  reputation  to  engage  in 
these  ventures. 

Walter  Ralegh  now  engaged  very  actively  in 
fitting  out  squadrons  to  attack  the  Spanish  ships. 
He  had  always  cherished,  from  earliest  youth,  a 
very  bitter  hatred  of  Spain  and  the  Spaniards. 
He  looked  upon  them  as  the  special  enemies  of 
England,  and  he  thought  it  nothing  more  than 
right  to  do  them  all  the  injury  he  possibly  could. 
When,  therefore,  he  had  excited  the  queen's  wrath 
by  his  courtship  of  the  fair  young  Elizabeth 
Throgmorton,  his  first  thought  was  to  occupy 
himself  with  a  cruise  in  search  of  Spanish  prizes. 
The  queen  was  glad  enough  to  separate  him 
from  his  lady-love,  and  not  only  consented  to 
his  project,  but  promised  to  aid  him  in  it.  With 
his  wonted  energy  and  enthusiasm  he  set  to  work 
getting  together  his  ships,  and  preparing  for  his 
adventure.  Ere  long  thirteen  vessels  were  an- 
chored in  the  Thames,  fully  equipped,  and  supplied 
with  a  goodly  armament.  To  these  the  queen 
added  two  more  vessels.     On  this  occasion,  Ralegh 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  8 1 

resolved  that  he  himself  would  take  command  of 
his  expedition. 

B'efore  he  set  out,  however,  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  would  secretly  marry  his  beloved 
Elizabeth  Throgmorton.  He  found  an  opportunity 
to  communicate  with  her,  which  was  not  difficult, 
as  the  queen,  believing  she  had  cured  Ralegh  of 
his  love,  had  released  her  from  confinement.  The 
pair  readily  found  a  clergyman  who  performed  the 
marriage  ceremony.  Then,  after  being  locked  in 
each  other's  arms  in  a  long,  clinging  embrace,  the 
bride  and  bridegroom,  with  many  vows  of  unalter- 
able affection,  parted. 

Ralegh  hastened  to  his  ships,  while  his  young 
wife  returned  to  her  place  at  the  royal  court.  He 
gave  the  command  to  set  sail  the  next  morning ; 
and  accordingly  at  sunrise,  on  the  6th  of  May, 
1592,  the  squadron  floated  under  a  fair  wind  down 
the  Thames,  and  so  out  to  sea.  Ralegh's  purpose 
was  to  make  directly  for  the  Spanish  coast,  and  to 
attack  the  Spanish  ships  anchored  in  the  harbor 
of  Seville.  After  plundering  them,  he  intended  to 
cross  the  ocean,  and  assail  the  Spanish  colony  of 
Panama,  in  Central  America.  As  his  squadron 
sped  lightly  over  the  waves,  Ralegh  gave  himself 


82  RALEGH  : 

up  to  bright  visions  of  the  riches  he  was  about  to 
gain,  and  the  greater  fame  which  would  follow  his 
success.  The  prospect  of  winning  once  more 
the  favor  of  the  queen,  and  of  recovering  his  in- 
fluence at  court,  gladdened  his  heart,  and  steeled 
him  to  a  desperate  effort  to  achieve  what  he  had 
undertaken. 

He  had  not  been  long  at  sea,  however,  when  he 
espied,  rapidly  approaching  his  squadron  from  the 
direction  of  England,  a  swift  pinnace  which  was 
evidently  trying  to  catch  up  with  him.  He  at 
once  suspected  that  something  was  wrong,  and  his 
heart  was  filled  with  misgiving.  He  resolved,  if 
possible,  to  outstrip  the  pinnace,  and  putting  on 
all  sail,  tried  to  escape  her.  But  the  pinnace 
gained  on  the  squadron  with  every  league,  and  at 
last  came  near  enough  to  give  Ralegh  a  signal. 
Ere  long,  the  pursuing  craft  came  alongside  the 
flag-ship,  and  in  another  moment  her  commander 
climbed  on  board. 

This  proved  to  be  no  other  than  the  famous 
navigator,  Sir  Martin  Frobisher.  Taking  Ralegh 
apart,  he  told  him  that  Queen  Elizabeth  had 
changed  her  mind,  and  had  determined  that 
Ralegh  should  not  go  in  command  of  the  expe- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  83 

dition.  The  queen  was  most  tenderly  anxious, 
said  Frobisher,  for  Ralegh's  safety,  and  could  not 
bear  to  have  him  absent  from  court.  Ralegh  was 
almost  beside  himself  with  vexation  at  this  turn  of 
affairs.  He  was  forced  to  banish  all  the  bright 
dreams  in  which  he  had  been  so  freely  indulging, 
and  to  return  to  the  court,  where  he  would  once 
more  become  subject  to  the  caprices  of  the  queen. 
But  he  could  not  disobey  the  royal  command  ;  and 
so,  having  with  a  heavy  heart  given  up  the  com- 
mand of  his  squadron  to  Sir  Martin  Frobisher,  he 
reluctantly  returned  to  London  in  the  pinnace. 

He  repaired  to  his  lodgings,  and  exchanging  his 
weather-proof  sea-clothing  for  a  gorgeous  suit  of 
apparel,  lost  no  time  in  going  to  court.  On  arriv- 
ing at  the  palace,  he  asked  for  an  audience  of  the 
queen,  and  after  some  delay  was  admitted  to  the 
royal  presence. 

Queen  Elizabeth,  who  was  now  about  sixty  years 
of  age,  was  more  than  ever  proud  and  stately  in 
her  bearing.  No  sooner  had  Ralegh  entered  her 
apartment,  than,  instead  of  greeting  him  with  her 
usual  smile  of  welcome,  she  frowned  darkly,  and 
in  a  haughty  tone  ordered  him  not  to  approach 
her.     Then  she  broke  out  into  a  torrent  of  bitter 


84  RALEGH : 

reproaches,  and  called  him  ungrateful  and  perfid- 
ious, and  sharply  accused  him  of  having,  by  his 
secret  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Throgmorton,  dis- 
obeyed her  most  solemn  commands.  Ralegh  was 
speechless  with  amazement.  How  had  the  queen 
learned  his  secret  ?  What  reply  could  he  make  to 
her  angry  accusations?  He  had  scarcely  time, 
however,  to  consider  his  situation  ;  for  the  queen, 
summoning  her  guards,  ordered  them  to  seize 
Ralegh,  and  carry  him  a  prisoner  to  the  Tower 
of  London. 

Before  he  could  speak  a  word  of  protest  agains* 
this  treatment,  he  found  himself  hurried  out  of  the 
palace.  A  boat  lay  in  readiness  in  the  river.  Into 
this  the  unhappy  cavaher  was  roughly  placed,  and 
rowed  rapidly  to  the  grim  prison  of  which  he  was 
now  to  be  an  inmate. 

Ralegh  soon  found  himself  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Tower  which  opens  upon  the  Thames.  He 
was  led  up  the  gloomy  stairway  ;  and  before  he 
could  wholly  realize  that  he  was  really  a  prisoner, 
he  found  himself  the  occupant  of  a  dark,  narrow 
cell,  into  which  scarcely  a  glimmer  of  daylight 
shone,  and  the  floor  of  which  consisted  of  large, 
damp  stones.     A    table,  a   rude  chair,  and  a  low 


HIS    EXPI.OITS    AND    VOYAGES.  85 

cot  against  the  damp  wall,  were  the  only  articles 
of  furniture  permitted  to  the  prisoner. 

What  a  change  in  fortune  and  surroundings  was 
this !  He  who  had  lived  amid  all  the  splendors 
and  ease  of  a  royal  court,  whose  person  was  even 
now  apparelled  in  the  costliest  attire,  whose  lodgings 
had  been  replete  with  extravagant  luxury,  whose 
familiar  companions  had  been  princes,  nobles,  and 
warriors,  now  found  himself  the  inhabitant  of  a 
miserable  cell,  and  forced  to  exist  on  the  coarsest 
and  scantiest  fare !  Instead  of  gallantly  ploughing 
the  seas,  the  commander  of  a  brave  array  of  war- 
ships, dealing  doughty  blows  at  England's  enemies, 
and  bringing  home  in  triumph  galleons  laden  with 
the  riches  of  the  earth,  he  must  live  day  by  day  in 
this  dreary  solitude,  and  comfort  himself  as  best 
he  could  with  his  thoughts  and  his  books. 

Happily,  his  jailers  did  not  long  keep  him  in 
these  miserable  quarters,  but  gave  him  a  larger 
apartment  in  the  Tower,  from  the  high-barred  win- 
dows of  which  he  was  able  to  gaze  out  upon  the 
busy  craft  which  dotted  the  Thames  and  busily 
sped  to  and  fro.  The  governor  of  the  Tower, 
Sir  George  Carew,  often  came  to  visit  him  in  his 
solitude,  and  gave  him  the  news  of  the  day  ;  and 


86  RALEGH  : 

now  Ralegh's  table  was  served  as  that  of  a  cavalier 
of  rank  should  be.  After  a  while,  he  was  allowed 
to  write  letters  to  his  friends,  and  even,  now  and 
then,  to  receive  them  in  his  prison  ;  and  thus  many 
an  hour  was  pleasantly  beguiled.  But  for  one 
thing  he  deeply  grieved,  and  that  was  the  absence 
of  his  beloved  young  wife.  He  had  not  seen  her 
since  his  sudden  return,  and  he  longed  to  clasp  her 
once  more  in  his  arms.  But  this  the  stern  and 
jealous  queen  angrily  denied  him. 

It  is  strange  that,  despite  this  cruel  treatment 
on  the  part  of  the  queen,  Ralegh,  after  the  habit 
of  the  courtiers  of  that  day,  constantly  avowed  his 
affection  for  her,  and  pretended  that  his  chief  sor- 
row in  being  shut  up  in  the  Tower  was  that  he 
could  no  longer  see  her,  and  bask  in  the  sunshine 
of  her  smiles.  The  idea  of  a  refined  and  hand- 
some knight,  such  as  he,  professing  that  his  great- 
est happiness  lay  in  the  love  of  a  capricious  and 
tyrannical  old  woman  of  sixty ! 

He  spent  much  of  his  time  while  a  prisoner  in 
the  Tower,  writing  letters  to  his  various  friends,  in 
which  he  imparted  to  them  his  misery  at  being 
parted  from  his  royal  mistress.  To  one  of  them 
he  said  :    *'  I   am  become  like  a  fish  on  dry  land, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  8/ 

gasping  for  breath  ;  with  lame  legs  and  lamer 
lungs."  On  hearing  that  the  queen  was  about  to 
take  a  trip  into  the  interior  of  England,  he  ex- 
claimed, in  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Sir  Robert  Cecil, 
"  Aly  heart  was  never  broken  till  this  day,  that  I 
hear  the  queen  goes  so  far  off,  whom  I  have  fol- 
lowed so  many  years  with  so  great  love  and  desire 
in  so  many  journeys,  and  am  now  left  behind  her, 
in  a  dark  prison  all  alone.  While  she  was  yet 
nigh  at  hand,  that  I  might  hear  of  her  once  in  two 
or  three  days,  my  sorrows  were  the  less  ;  but  even 
now  my  heart  is  cast  into  the  depth  of  all  misery. 
I,  that  was  wont  to  behold  her  riding  like  Alex- 
ander, hunting  like  Diana,  walking  like  Venus,  the 
gentle  wind  blowing  her  fair  hair  about  her  pure 
cheeks  like  a  nymph,  sometimes  sitting  in  the 
shade  like  a  goddess,  sometimes  singing  like  an 
angel,  sometimes  playing  like  an  Orpheus." 

This  absurd  lament  ahout  a  vain  old  woman  he 
ended  by  saying,  in  despair,  "  Do  with  me  as  you 
will ;  I  am  more  weary  of  life  than  they  are  desir- 
ous I  should  perish." 

All  these  high-flown  flatteries  and  protestations 
of  love  for  the  queen  seem  to  us  unworthy  of  a 
brave  and  gallant  cavalier  and  refined  scholar,  like 


SS  RALEGH: 

Walter  Ralegh.  We  feel  that  none  of  them  are 
sincere  ;  that  they  are  a  pretence,  and  are  written 
from  a  motive  of  ambition.  Ralegh,  in  these 
rhapsodies,  adopted  the  extravagant  style  of  his 
time  ;  it  was  only  by  such  gross  adulation,  he 
thought,  that  he  could  soften  the  queen's  heart, 
and  restore  himself  to  his  old  position  of  honor 
and  influence. 

One  bright  summer  morning  Ralegh  was  gazing 
out  of  his  grated  window,  and  listlessly  watching 
the  craft  on  the  river  sailing  to  and  fro.  His 
thoughts  were  given  up  to  sorrowful  reflections, 
and  his  face  was  clouded  by  a  shadow  of  sadness. 
Suddenly,  however,  an  unusual  sight  presented 
itself  upon  the  waters  of  the  Thames.  A  num- 
ber of  splendid  barges,  gilded  and  painted  in 
brilliant  colors,  adorned  with  rich  awnings,  and 
gay  with  banners,  flags,  and  streamers,  were  mov- 
ing slowly,  in  regular  order,  down  the  stream. 
The  barge  in  the  centre  was  larger  and  hand- 
somer than  the  rest,  and  above  it  Ralegh  espied, 
floating  in  the  breeze,  the  emblazoned  standard 
of  England.  Another  glance  sufficed  to  show 
him,  reclining  on  ample  cushions  beneath  a  mag- 
nificently embroidered   canopy,  the  queen  herself. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  89 

She  was  attired  in  great  splendor,  glittering  with 
gems,  and  surrounded  by  a  bevy  of  the  fair  ladies 
of  her  court. 

Ralegh  was,  or  pretended  to  be,  overcome  with 
emotion.  Leaping  from  his  seat  by  the  window, 
he  called  loudly  for  Sir  George  Carew,  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  Tower.  As  soon  as  he  saw  Sir 
George,  he  broke  out  into  a  paroxysm  of  rage. 
He  declared  that  his  enemies  had  caused  the 
queen  to  pass  by  his  prison  in  her  barge,  purposely 
to  torment  and  tantalize  him  ;  and  he  begged  Sir 
George  to  allow  him  to  go  out  and  follow  the 
barge,  promising  that,  as  soon  as  he  had  got  a 
sight  of  her  near  by,  he  would  return  to  prison 
again.  But  the  governor  would  not  permit  him 
to  go ;  whereupon  Ralegh,  full  of  ungovernable 
anger,  fiercely  upbraided  him.  From  words  the 
governor  and  his  prisoner  came  to  blows.  Pres- 
ently each  drew  his  dagger ;  and  the  quarrel  might 
have  .'^oon  proved  fatal  to  one  or  the  other,  had  not 
Sir  Arthur  Gorges  interposed  and  separated  the 
combatants. 

Ralegh  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  while  in 
the  Tower  reading  and  writing.  He  was  already 
known  as  one  of  the  best  poets  and   essayists  of 


QO  RALEGH  I 

his  time ;  and  throughout  all  his  busy  and  often 
adventurous  career  he  had  never  lost  his  early  love 
for  books  and  learning.  His  ambition  was  as  eager 
to  become  a  scholar,  and  to  leave  literary  works 
which  should  endure,  as  it  was  to  obtain  wealth 
and  power  at  home,  and  to  found  colonies  in  dis- 
tant lands.  So  it  was,  that,  while  he  was  a  pris- 
oner, many  a  weary  hour  was  lightened  by  his 
books  and  his  pen,  and  many  were  the  wise 
things  which  he  wrote  at  this  time. 

He  had  been  in  the  Tower  several  months, 
when  one  day  the  news  was  brought  to  him  that 
some  of  the  ships  which  he  had  fitted  up  and  sent 
out  as  privateers  had  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  of 
Dartmouth,  whither  they  had  brought  a  large 
Spanish  galleon,  fairly  loaded  down  with  precious 
spoil.  This  news  was  soon  confirmed.  The 
Spanish  ship,  the  name  of  which  was  ''La  Madre 
de  Diosl'  proved  to  be  loaded  with  a  cargo  of 
spices,  drugs,  silks,  and  other  articles,  the  value 
of  which  was  not  less  than  seven  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  of  our  money. 

The  arrival  of  this  great  prize  soon  filled  the 
country  with  excitement,  and  Queen  Elizabeth 
herself  greeted    the  event  with    unconcealed   joy. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  9I 

Although  ''La  Madrc  dc  Dios  "  had  been  captured 
exactly  as  pirates  take  and  plunder  ships  on  the 
high  seas,  she  was  no  less  delighted  than  her  court- 
iers at  the  prospect  of  profiting  by  it.  As  Eliza- 
beth had  contributed  towards  fitting  out  the  fleet, 
she  was  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  plunder.  Walter 
Ralegh,  too,  had  a  claim  upon  a  large  portion  of 
the  profits  of  the  expedition,  and  it  was  very  neces- 
sary that  he  should  go  to  Dartmouth,  to  make  a 
division  of  the  spoil. 

The  queen  was  not  yet  willing,  however,  to  re- 
lease him  from  his  captivity.  She  had  not  become 
reconciled  to  his  secret  marriage,  and  was  resolved, 
if  possible,  to  keep  him  and  his  young  bride  apart. 
Besides,  her  resentment  against  him  was  being 
constantly  inflamed  by  his  bitter  rival,  the  Earl  of 
Essex,  who  feared  the  result  of  Ralegh's  return  to 
court.  Nor  was  Essex  the  only  enemy  Ralegh 
had  about  the  queen  ;  for  his  haughty  bearing  had 
given  grave  offence  to  more  than  one  proud  noble 
and  dame  of  high  degree. 

At  last  Elizabeth  resolved  to  permit  Ralegh  to 
go  to  Dartmouth,  but  ordered  that  a  keeper  should 
go  with  him  and  attend  him  everywhere,  night 
and  day,  to  see  that  he  did  not  escape.     The  sail- 


92  RALEGH  : 

ors  of  the  fleet  were  becoming  very  insubordinate, 
and  the  queen  knew  that  Ralegh  alone  had  their 
affection,  and  could  quell  their  discontent. 

So  one  day  Ralegh  found  himself  breathing  the 
free  air,  outside  his  gloomy  prison,  though  he  him- 
self was  not  yet  free.  His  keeper  remained  close 
by  his  side,  and  in  his  unwelcome  company  Ralegh 
journeyed  down  to  Dartmouth. 

In  spite  of  his  being  a  prisoner,  Ralegh  was 
greeted  at  Dartmouth,  which  was  not  far  from  his 
native  place,  with  shouts  of  joyful  welcome ;  for 
however  much  he  might  be  disliked  and  feared  at 
the  royal  court,  in  his  own  neighborhood  he  was 
greatly  beloved.  The  sailors  of  the  fleet,  too,  who 
had  been  so  unruly,  gathered  about  him,  and  lav- 
ished upon  him  every  token  of  their  affection. 
Ralegh  bore  himself  with  much  dignity,  but  every 
one  observed  the  sad  expression  of  his  counte- 
nance. When  one  of  his  old  friends  wished  him 
joy  at  being  free  again,  he  shook  his  head  and  sor- 
rowfully replied, — 

*'  No,  I  am  still  the  queen  of  England's  poor 
captive." 

It  took  a  long  time  to  complete  the  division  of 
the   rich    spoil    which    had    been    taken    with    the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  93 

Spanish  galleon  ;  but  at  last  Ralegh  found  his  task 
finished,  and  with  his  keeper,  he  returned  to  Lon- 
don. But  he  was  not  again  consigned  to  the  dreary 
solitude  of  the  Tower.  He  lived  for  a  while  under 
the  eye  of  his  keeper,  and  at  last  the  queen's 
heart  softened  towards  him,  and  he  was  restored  to 
full  liberty  again. 

And  now,  for  the  first  time  since  his  marriage, 
he  was  to  enjoy  for  a  little  while  the  sweet  repose 
and  comforts  of  a  happy  wedded  life.  His  young 
wife  was  all  that  his  warm  heart  could  desire. 
She  was  young,  beautiful,  accomplished,  and  lov- 
ing. Ralegh  was  her  hero,  and  she  was  completely 
wrapped  up  in  him  and  his  fortunes.  Never  did 
cavalier  have  a  more  faithful  or  more  helpful  part- 
ner. She  shared  with  her  whole  heart  his  joys 
and  sorrows,  and  she  was  perfectly  happy,  now 
that  she  could  live  with  him  in  the  luxurious 
country  retreat  w^hither  they  speedily  repaired. 

Not  long  before,  Ralegh  had  become  the  owner 
of  one  of  the  finest  manor-houses  in  Engfland.  It 
was  called  Sherborne,  and  was  not  very  far  distant 
from  his  native  place.  It  was  a  noble  mansion, 
replete  with  every  luxury  of  the  age,  imposing  to 
the  eye,  spacious  and  convenient  ;  its  walls  hung 


94  RALEGH  : 

with  rare  tapestries,  and  its  ceilings  made  of  the 
heaviest  carved  oak.  Around  the  manor-house  lay 
a  beautiful  park,  and  in  its  near  vicinity  were  blos- 
soming orchards,  and  cool,  pretty  groves,  and 
thriving  gardens. 

In  so  lovely  a  retreat  Ralegh  spent  many  happy 
months.  He  was  ardently  fond  of  country  sports, 
and  took  the  greatest  delight  in  building  taste- 
ful additions  to  his  castle,  laying  out  new  gardens, 
and  cutting  stately  avenues  through  his  park. 
With  him,  too,  he  had  his  choice  library  of  books, 
to  which  he  could  gratefully  turn  when  wearied 
with  his  out-of-door  occupations.  Around  him 
lived,  in  stately  castles  and  more  modest  hunt- 
ing-houses, many  gentlemen  of  tastes  as  refined 
and  as  sturdy  as  his  own;  and  with  them  he  en- 
joyed frequent  and  pleasant  companionship.  In 
such  an  existence  he  seemed  to  forget  for  a  while 
that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  royal  court,  or 
such  a  personage  as  the  vain  old  queen.  His  am- 
bition seemed  lulled  to  slumber  by  his  tranquil 
surroundings. 

But  after  a  while  his  adventurous  spirit  again 
became  restless,  and  he  began  to  think  of  once 
more   seeking  renown   and   riches  by  the  perilous 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  95 

ventures  of  the  sea.  This  time,  he  said  to  himself, 
he  would  go  on  the  projected  voyage  in  person. 
He  would  embark  on  a  new  expedition  towards 
the  setting  sun.  As  he  sat  amid  the  shades 
of  Sherborne,  he  looked  eagerly  forward  to  the 
time  when,  at  sea,  he  would  have  "  to  lie  hard  ; 
to  fare  worse  ;  to  be  subjected  to  perils,  to  dis- 
eases, to  ill  savors  ;  to  be  parched  and  withered  ; 
and,  withal,  to  sustain  the  care  and  labor"  of  a 
long  and  doubtful  voyage. 


96  RALEGH 


CHAPTER   VII. 

RALEGH'S    FIRST    VOYAGE. 


ARVELLOUS  stories  of  a  certain  region 
in  America  had  long  been  circulating  in 
England,  and  throughout  Europe.  The 
Spaniards,  who  had  been  so  bold  and  successfiil 
in  their  voyages  across  the  Atlantic,  and  in  their 
conquests  of  the  western  nations,  told  dazzling 
tales  of  the  riches  of  those  countries,  and  of  the 
wonderful  sights  they  had  seen  there.  The  ac- 
counts of  the  Spanish  voyages  thither  had  been 
printed  ;  and  one  collection  of  these  thrilling  sto- 
ries had  been  made  in  England  by  Richard  Hak- 
luyt,  an  intimate  friend  of  Walter  Ralegh,  who  had 
encouraged  him  to  undertake  this  work. 

According  to  the  Spanish  adventurers,  the  em- 
pire of  Guiana,  on  the  northern  coast  of  South 
America,  was  in  truth  the  land  of  gold,  in  search 
of  which  so  many  expeditions  had  been  made ; 
the  very  land  which  had  aroused  the  ambition  of 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  97 

Columbus,  of  Cortez,  of  Pizarro,  of  Fernando  de 
Soto,  and  Ponce  de  Leon.  It  was  said,  indeed, 
that  the  vast  treasures  of  the  Mexican  king,  Mon- 
tezuma, had  been  carried  to  Guiana  by  his  ser- 
vants, when  he  was  subdued  and  captured  by 
Cortez  ;  and  that  the  boundless  wealth  of  the  Inca 
of  Peru,  Atahualpa,  had  in  the  same  manner 
been  transferred  to  Guiana,  after  his  overthrow 
by  Pizarro.  Very  many  implicitly  believed  these 
stories,  and  were  eager  to  go  to  Guiana,  and  search 
out  and  bring  home  these  treasures.  Other  voy- 
agers declared  that  Guiana  itself  was  fabulously 
rich  in  gold,  silver,  and  precious  gems.  Stories 
were  told  of  a  great  imperial  city,  which  stood  on 
imposing  heights  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
where  the  very  troughs  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets,  at  which  the  horses  were  watered,  were 
made  of  solid  blocks  of  gold  and  silver  ;  and  where 
''billets  of  gold  lay  about  in  heaps,  as  if  they  were 
logs  of  wood  marked  out  to  burn." 

In  this  marvellous  city  there  dwelt  a  king,  who 
lived  in  the  greatest  wealth  and  magnificence. 
Some  of  his  habits  were  at  least  peculiar.  There 
were  state  occasions  on  which  it  was  his  custom  to 
cover  his  royal  body  with  turpentine,  and  then  roll 


98  RALEGH  : 

himself  in  gold-dust,  until  he  appeared  like  a  living 
figure  of  gold.  He  would  then  enter  his  state 
barge,  and  thus,  in  the  centre  of  a  group  of  nobles, 
arrayed  in  attire  which  glistened  with  gems,  would 
make  the  tour  of  a  beautiful  lake  ;  in  which,  at  the 
end  of  their  promenade,  the  monarch  and  his  court 
would  take  a  refreshing  bath. 

But  somehow  or  other,  it  always  seemed  very 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  find  this  rich  city  and 
its  king.  One  expedition  after  another  went  in 
search  of  it,  and  after  a  series  of  bitter  and 
cruel  hardships,  returned  without  having  found 
it.  Sometimes  these  expeditions,  after  enduring 
hunger  and  want  and  cold  in  the  vast  South 
American  forests,  were  massacred  by  the  angry 
natives.  Among  other  adventurers  who  tried  to 
find  the  much-talked-of  El  Dorado  was  Gonzalo 
Pizarro,  the  brother  of  that  great  Pizarro  who  had 
conquered  Peru.  Gonzalo  crossed  the  mountains 
of  South  America  from  Peru  with  over  three  hun- 
dred Spaniards,  and  a  still  larger  force  of  natives. 
A  part  of  his  force,  under  Orellana,  managed 
to  reach  the  river  Amazon  after  many  vicissi- 
tudes. Hastily  constructing  a  rude  boat,  they  de- 
scended that  mighty  stream,  and,  deserting  Pizarro, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  99 

made  their  way  back  to  Europe.  Meanwhile 
Gonzalo  and  a  portion  of  the  force  remained  in  the 
mountains  awaiting  the  result  of  Orellana's  search. 
Finding  that  he  did  not  return,  Gonzalo  returned 
to  Peru  ;  but  not  until  his  company  had  been 
forced  to  eat  their  saddles,  so  near  had  they  come 
to  actual  starvation. 

Other  expeditions  had  met  a  fate  not  less  unfor- 
tunate. All  alike  had  failed  to  reach  the  golden 
city.  For  a  long  while  the  attempt  to  find  El 
Dorado  was  abandoned.  But  some  time  before 
Ralegh  took  up  his  residence  at  Sherborne,  a 
bold  Spaniard  named  Berreo  had  resolved  to  un- 
dertake the  task  which  still  remained  unfulfilled. 
Berreo  made  a  successful  voyage  across  the  Atlan- 
tic, and  safely  reached  New  Granada,  in  South 
America.  Thence  he  set  forth,  it  is  said,  with 
seven  hundred  horsemen,  and  travelled,  first  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  Negro,  and  then  along  those 
of  the  river  Orinoco.  At  some  points,  the  adven- 
turers descended  the  Orinoco  in  rough  boats,  built 
on  the  spot.  As  they  advanced,  many  of  the  men 
and  horses  died  from  illness  and  exhaustion,  while 
others  fell  in  the  frequent  skirmishes  which  Berreo 
had  with  the  natives  of  the  country. 


lOO  RALEGH  : 

He  thus  travelled  amid  many  perils  for  more 
than  a  year.  At  last  he  reached  a  country,  from 
the  natives  of  which  he  heard  about  Guiana  and  its 
riches  ;  the  city,  they  said,  was  not  far  off.  These 
natives  were  at  first  hostile  to  Berreo,  but  they 
soon  became  friendly  with  him,  and  lavished 
many  costly  presents  upon  him.  They  gave  him 
''ten  images  of  fine  gold,  which  were  so  curiously 
wrought,  as  he  had  not  seen  the  like  in  Italy, 
Spain,  or  the  Low  Countries."  After  remaining 
with  them  for  three  months,  Berreo  pursued  his 
journey  in  search  of  Guiana;  but  his  force  had  now 
so  seriously  dwindled,  and  those  who  still  survived 
grew  so  clamorous  to  return  home,  that  he  at  last 
gave  up  his  project  and  went  back,  not  without  many 
hardships  and  difficulties,  to  the  island  of  Trinidad, 
off  the  South  American  coast.  He  did  not  give  up 
all  hope,  however,  of  finding  Guiana  ;  and  remained 
for  many  years  at  Trinidad  with  this  purpose  in 
his  mind. 

All  these  stories  of  El  Dorado,  and  of  the  at- 
tempts of  the  Spaniards  to  find  the  marvellous  city 
of  gold,  excited  and  absorbed  Ralegh  in  his  retreat 
at  Sherborne.  He  began  to  believe  the  most  won- 
derful accounts  of  the  land  of  Guiana  ;  and  often, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  lOl 

as  he  sat  with  his  wife  by  the  roaring  fire  in  his 
great  hall,  did  he  tell  her  of  his  eager  desire  to 
be  the  successful  explorer  of  that  distant  region. 
His  hatred  of  the  Spaniards  led  him  above  all  to 
crave  the  distinction  of  preventing  their  capture  of 
the  golden  land,  and  of  himself  planting  the  stand- 
ard and  the  authority  of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  its 
midst. 

So  in  the  year  1594,  some  eleven  or  twelve  years 
after  Berreo  had  set  forth  on  his  venture,  Ralegh 
made  up  his  mind  to  enter  once  more  upon  his  old 
career  of  colonization  and  discovery.  He  was  now 
in  the  very  prime  of  life,  and  the  full  ripeness  of 
his  vigor.  At  the  age  of  forty-two,  he  had  many 
years  of  activity  and  enterprise  before  him.  He 
had  long  ago  given  up  all  idea  of  planting  a  settle- 
ment in  Virginia;  the  failure  of  his  former  attempts 
to  do  so  had  completely  discouraged  him.  But 
here  was  a  new  and  brilliant  field  of  adventure  ; 
and  his  ambitious  nature  was  stirred  by  the  pros- 
pect of  finding  the  fabled  land.  He  had  never  him- 
self sailed  on  any  of  the  expeditions  which  he  had 
fitted  up  and  sent  forth  upon  the  ocean.  Now,  he 
resolved  that  he  himself  would  go,  and  take  com- 
mand of  the  voyage  to  America.     It  would  be  hard 


102  RALEGH: 

to  tear  himself  away  from  the  companionship  of 
his  devoted  wife  and  the  luxurious  ease  of  Sher- 
borne ;  but  he  was  too  ambitious  and  too  restless 
to  remain  there  in  languor  and  indolence. 

But  before  venturing  himself  upon  the  ocean, 
Ralegh  resolved  to  send  out  a  ship  to  explore  the 
mouth  of  the  Orinoco,  up  which  he  would  have  to 
pass.  He  accordingly  dispatched  his  friend,  Jacob 
Whiddon,  in  a  small  vessel,  to  make  the  explora- 
tion. Whidden  arrived  safely  at  Trinidad,  where 
he  landed,  and  where  Berreo  pretended  to  welcome 
him  with  warm  cordiality.  Berreo  was  at  this  time 
governor  of  Trinidad  ;  and  he  himself  had,  just  at 
this  time,  nearly  got  ready  a  new  expedition  to 
search  for  El  Dorado.  While,  therefore,  he  pro- 
fessed to  be  friendly  to  Whiddon,  he  really  used 
every  means  to  delay  him,  and  prevent  his  sailing 
to  the  Orinoco.  One  after  another,  Whiddon's 
sailors  w^ere  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison  on 
various  pretexts,  until  his  crew  became  too  small 
to  enable  him  to  continue  his  voyage.  Finally, 
Whiddon  was  forced  to  return  to  England  without 
having  achieved  the  object  for  which  he  had  sailed. 

No  sooner  had  Ralegh  heard  his  officer's  report, 
than   he  decided  to  delay   no  longer  the   prepara- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  IO3 

tions  for  his  own  voyage  to  South  America.  When 
he  told  his  wife  of  his  purpose,  she  implored  him 
with  tears  in  her  eyes  not  to  undertake  so  perilous 
a  journey.  Finding  that  she  could  not  persuade 
him  to  abandon  it,  she  wrote  to  Sir  Robert  Cecil 
a  touching  letter,  begging  him  to  prevail  upon 
Ralegh  to  remain  at  home.  But  Sir  Robert  re- 
fused to  listen  to  her  prayer.  Ralegh  went  to 
London,  and  without  loss  of  time  set  about  col- 
lecting the  ships  which  were  to  form  his  squadron, 
and  a  picked  company  of  men  to  go  with  him. 
In  his  preparations  he  was  actively  assisted  by  Sir 
Robert  Cecil,  then  a  great  man  at  the  royal  court, 
and  by  the  gallant  admiral,  Lord  Howard  of  Effing- 
ham, who  had  won  the  victory  over  the  Spanish 
Armada. 

At  last  five  stout  vessels,  amply  provided  with 
crews,  arms,  and  provisions,  were  gathered  in  the 
picturesque  harbor  of  Plymouth,  near  Ralegh's 
native  place.  The  vessels  had  on  board  a  number 
of  light,  small  boats,  which  were  certain  to  be 
useful  when  the  adventurers  reached  the  South 
American  rivers.  Besides  the  crews  of  the  ships, 
about  one  hundred  gentlemen,  officers,  and  soldiers 
were  gathered  at  the  rendezvous  ;  and  Ralegh  also 


104  RALEGH 

took  with  him  a  number  of  rowers,  boat-keepers, 
and  boys. 

On  the  morning  of  a  misty  day  in  February, 
I595>  everything  was  ready,  and  Ralegh,  attended 
by  a  number  of  his  companions,  and  attired  in 
all  his  finery,  proceeded  on  board  his  flagship. 
The  vessels  in  the  harbor  displayed  their  flags  and 
pennons  in  honor  of  the  expedition.  The  quays 
were  crowded  with  a  curious  multitude ;  and  there 
were  gathered  many  nobles  and  ladies  from  the 
region  round  about,  who  had  assembled  to  bid  the 
bold  voyagers  God-speed  and  a  happy  return.  Ra- 
legh stood  erect  upon  the  deck,  the  long  feathers 
in  his  hat  floating  in  the  breeze,  and  his  velvet 
cloak  wrapped  about  his  stalwart  form.  With 
quick  glance  he  looked  from  one  ship  to  the  other. 
The  captains  signalled  to  him  that  they  were  pre- 
pared to  weigh  anchor.  Waving  his  hand  to  the 
crowd  of  his  friends  on  shore,  he  gave  the  order 
to  set  sail.  The  ships,  with  sails  set  and  flags 
flying,  slowly  passed  out  of  the  harbor ;  and 
presently  the  fair  town  of  Plymouth,  and  then  the 
white  cliffs  of  his  native  Devon,  faded  from  Ra- 
legh's view. 

The   first  destination   of  the  squadron  was  the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOi'AGES.  IO5 

Canary  Islands,  off  the  African  coast ;  the  same 
islands  on  which  Vasco  da  Gama  had  landed  just 
about  a  hundred  years  before.  Ralegh's  ships 
reached  them  without  accident,  and  there  took  in 
a  fresh  supply  of  water  and  provisions.  Just  as 
the  squadron  was  setting  sail  again,  Ralegh  espied, 
in  the  distance,  a  Spanish  ship.  The  temptation 
to  attack  and  capture  her  was  too  strong  for  him 
to  resist. 

Whenever  and  wherever  Walter  Ralegh  could 
inflict  injury  on  the  Spaniards,  whom  he  so  bitterly 
detested,  he  did  so  with  eagerness.  He  ordered 
his  vessels  to  bear  down  upon  the  new-comer ; 
and  after  a  brief,  hot  fight,  the  Spaniard  surren- 
dered, and  the  English  voyagers  boarded  her.  To 
Ralegh's  delight  he  found  that  the  cargo  of  the 
captured  ship  consisted  of  fire-arms ;  these  he 
caused  to  be  stowed  away  in  his  own  squadron, 
and  then  let  the  captive  vessel   go. 

Proceeding  on  his  voyage,  he  not  long  after  en- 
countered and  captured  another  prize.  A  Flemish 
ship  was  sailing  homeward  with  a  cargo  of  fine 
wines.  Ralegh  attacked  her  without  hesitation, 
;ind  soon  made  her  lower  her  flag  to  him.  The 
wine,   to  the  amount  of  twenty  huge  hogsheads, 


I06  RALEGH  : 

was  transferred  to  his  own  ship,  and  the  Flemish 
craft  was  compelled  to  return  home  empty. 

The  course  of  the  squadron  was  now  directly 
across  the  stormy  Atlantic.  Ralegh  himself,  who 
had  long  and  carefully  studied  the  art  of  naviga- 
tion, commanded  its  movements.  Meanwhile  he 
passed  many  a  monotonous  hour  at  sea  with  the 
books  which  he  had  brought  to  beguile  him  on 
his  way.  He  studied  the  rude  charts  of  the  coast 
and  country  whither  he  was  sailing,  and  read 
with  absorbing  interest  the  accounts  of  the  pre- 
vious voyages  which  had  been  made  to  those 
remote  regions.  The  further  the  ships  advanced, 
the  more  dazzling  became  his  dreams  of  the  pos- 
sible conquests  and  riches  which  lay  before  him, 
and  the  more  impatient  he  became  to  reach  his 
destination. 

In  a  little  less  than  two  months  after  setting  out 
from  Plymouth,  Ralegh  and  his  five  ships  came  in 
sight  of  the  island  of  Trinidad.  It  was  with  a 
thrill  of  joy  that  he  first  spied  land  in  the  new 
world,  —  that  world  of  which  he  had  heard  so 
much,  and  which  he  had  so  often  longed  to  behold 
with  his  own  eyes.  Anchoring  in  one  of  the  har- 
bors of  the  island,  Ralegh's  fiirst  step  was  to  make 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  10/ 

a  careful  survey  of  the  coast.  He  tried  to  win  the 
good  will  of  the  natives,  so  as  to  learn  as  much  as 
possible  about  the  mysterious  country  he  was 
about  to  explore.  Berreo,  the  adventurer  whose 
expedition  has  been  described,  was  still  the  ruler 
of  Trinidad.  Ralegh  was  resolved  to  punish  him 
for  having  prevented  Whiddon  from  going  to  the 
Orinoco  ;  and  soon  Berreo's  conduct  towards  his 
own  squadron  strengthened  this  resolve. 

Berreo  told  the  Indians  of  Trinidad  that  if  any 
of  them  should  dare  to  go  on  board  any  of  Ra- 
legh's ships,  or  give  him  any  information  about  the 
country,  such  offenders  should  be  promptly  hung 
and  quartered.  But  already  Ralegh  had  won  the 
good  will  of  the  natives  by  the  kind  manner  in 
which  he  treated  them,  and  the  presents  which  he 
lavished  upon  them.  In  spite  of  Berreo's  savage 
threats,  the  Indians  would  creep  out  from  the  shore 
in  their  canoes,  under  the  cover  of  night,  and  come 
alongside  the  flag-ship.  They  brought  provisions 
to  Ralegh,  and  were  often  persuaded  to  board  the 
vessel.  The  poor  savages  loudly  bewailed  the  cru- 
elty which  the  Spaniards  were  constantly  inflicting 
upon  them,  and  soon  learned  to  look  to  the  gallant 
English    commander    for    relief     and    protection. 


I08  RALEGH : 

They  told  Ralegh,  among  other  things,  that  sev- 
eral of  their  chiefs  were  at  that  moment  lying  in 
chains  in  the  town  of  St.  Joseph,  and  besought 
him  to  go  to  their  rescue. 

Ralegh  quickly  perceived  that  this  was  a  good 
opportunity  at  once  to  inflict  a  blow  upon  his 
Spanish  enemy,  and  to  gain  still  more  securely  the 
good  will  of  the  natives.  So  he  made  a  sudden 
and  vigorous  attack  upon  St.  Joseph,  which  speed- 
ily fell  into  his  hands.  He  released  the  chiefs, 
who  overwhelmed  him  with  their  gratitude,  and 
from  that  time  the  Indians  of  Trinidad  became 
devoted  to  him.  Ralegh  took  occasion  to  tell  them 
that  his  sovereign  was  a  great  queen,  who  ruled 
over  a  powerful  island  realm,  and  who  was  an  in- 
veterate enemy  of  the  Spaniards  ;  and  he  promised 
always  to  protect  them  from  Spanish  tyranny. 

With  the  capture  of  St.  Joseph,  Berreo  himself 
fell  into  Ralegh's  hands  as  a  prisoner.  But  Ra- 
legh, far  from  delivering  the  Spaniard  over  to 
execution,  gave  him  a  spacious  cabin  in  his  own 
ship,  and  invited  him  to  take  his  meals  daily  at  his 
own  table.  Berreo,  who  did  not  suspect  as  yet 
that  Ralegh  had  come  thither  to  make  the  discov- 
ery of  El  Dorado,  talked  freely  with  him  about  his 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  IO9 

own  expedition  to  the  Orinoco  ;  and  thus  Ralegh 
gathered  a  good  deal  of  valuable  information. 
This,  with  what  he  was  constantly  learning  from 
the  friendly  natives,  enabled  him  soon  to  perfect 
his  own  plans  for  exploring  the  main  land. 

Ralegh  learned  that  it  would  be  in  vain  for  him 
to  attempt  to  navigate  the  river  Orinoco  with  his 
large  ships.  The  various  mouths  of  this  stream  were 
choked  up  by  great  sand-banks,  and  the  shifting 
tides  made  the  channels  uncertain  and  dangerous. 
It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  leave  the  ships, 
with  a  sufficient  force  to  defend  them,  at  the  island 
of  Trinidad,  and  to  pursue  the  journey  in  the 
smaller  craft  which  Ralegh  had  had  the  forethought 
to  bring  along  with  him.  He  accordingly  an- 
chored his  squadron  at  a  place  called  Los  Gallos, 
in  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  at  a  point  on  Trinidad  nearest 
to  the  main  land.  He  chose  one  hundred  men  to 
accompany  him  on  his  perilous  venture,  carrying 
provisions  for  a  month  ;  and  finally  embarked  in  an 
old  galley,  a  barge,  two  light  wherries,  and  a  ship's 
boat. 

Ralegh  had  with  him  a  young  Indian  pilot,  who 
professed  to  be  entirely  familiar  with  the  coast, 
and  with  the  dangerously  winding  channels  of  the 


no  RALEGH  : 

Orinoco.  In  crossing  the  strait  between  Trinidad 
and  the  main  land,  the  frail  little  fleet  of  boats  met 
with  very  stormy  weather.  The  high-rolling  bil- 
lows and  the  fierce  wind  reminded  Ralegh  of  the 
rough  passage  between  Dover  and  Calais.  When 
at  last  they  reached  the  coast,  and  entered  that 
mouth  of  the  river  which  they  first  found,  the 
boats  became  so  involved  in  the  network  of  chan- 
nels which  crossed  and  recrossed  each  other,  that 
Ralegh  almost  despaired  of  being  able  either  to 
advance  or  to  retreat  again.  In  the  account  which 
he  wrote  of  his  expedition  afterwards,  he  said: 

"  If  God  had  not  sent  us  help,  we  might  have 
wandered  a  whole  year  in  that  labyrinth  of  rivers, 
ere  we  had  found  any  way.  I  know  all  the  earth 
doth  not  yield  the  like  confluence  of  streams  and 
branches,  the  one  crossing  the  other  so  many 
times,  and  all  so  fair  and  large,  and  so  like  to  one 
another,  as  no  man  can  tell  which  to  take.  And  if 
we  went  by  the  sun  or  compass,  hoping  thereby  to 
go  directly  one  way  or  other,  yet  that  way  also  we 
were  carried  in  a  circle  amongst  multitudes  of 
islands.  Every  island  was  so  bordered  with  big 
trees,  as  no  man  could  see  any  further  than  the 
breadth  of  the  river  or  length  of  the  branch." 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  Ill 

The  young  Indian  pilot,  who  was  sincerely  anxious 
to  fulfil  his  task,  proved  to  be  really  ignorant  of 
the  various  channels  ;  and  so  the  Englishmen  were 
obliged  to  trust  to  their  own  experience  and  judg- 
ment. At  last  they  were  extricated  from  their 
difficulty  and  peril  by  a  lucky  accident. 

The  boats  happened  to  turn  up  a  channel  which 
seemed  deeper  and  easier  than  the  rest.  After 
rowing  a  few  hours,  Ralegh  was  surprised  and 
delighted  to  espy,  just  on  ahead,  a  little  canoe,  with 
three  natives,  crossing  the  rapid  stream.  He  or- 
dered his  rowers  to  make  all  speed,  and,  if  possible, 
overtake  the  canoe.  The  natives,  as  soon  as  they 
perceived  the  strange  craft  making  towards  them, 
with  white  men  in  it,  took  fright  and  hurried  their 
own  rowing.  But  the  skilful  English  oars  were  too 
quick  for  them,  and  soon  the  barge  (in  which  was 
Ralegh  himself)  overtook  the  canoe,  and  the  men 
seized  its  occupants. 

Ralegh,  by  many  signs,  tried  to  persuade  the 
natives  that  he  was  friendly,  and  had  no  hostile 
designs  upon  them  ;  and  some  of  the  Indians  whom 
he  had  brought  with  him  soon  persuaded  them  that 
they  had  nothing  to  fear.  One  of  the  three 
natives  was  an  old  man,  with  a  wise  and  solemn 


112  RALEGH  : 

face,  who  proved  to  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  river  and  the  country  round  about.  He  was 
induced,  by  means  of  presents  and  gentle  treat- 
ment, to  be  the  pilot  of  the  expedition,  and  under- 
took his  task  with  hearty  good  will. 

That  evening,  Ralegh  and  his  comrades  landed 
on  a  little  knoll,  which  was  mostly  overgrown  with 
dense  reeds  and  tropical  vegetation,  and  there,  amid 
the  stillness  of  the  strange  and  savage  land,  — 
a  stillness  broken  only  by  the  sound  of  the 
wild  rush  of  the  river's  current, — the  adventurers 
feasted  on  such  plain  fare  as  they  had  brought 
with  them,  and  slept  soundly  after  their  desperate 
struggling  with  the  formidable  waters.  The  faith- 
ful Indians  kept  guard  as  they  slept.  They  rose 
bright  and  early  in  the  morning,  and  with  stout 
hearts  prepared  to  resume  their  perilous  journey. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  II 3 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ADVENTURES    ON    THE    ORINOCO. 

N  launching  forth,  the  next  morning,  upon 
the  stream,  Ralegh  and  his  companions 
found  that  their  difficulties  and  dangers 
were  by  no  means  over.  Their  old  Indian  guide 
promised  them  that  after  a  while  they  would 
reach  smoother  waters,  and  would  find,  some  dis- 
tance above,  a  large  Indian  village,  where  they 
were  sure  of  being  hospitably  welcomed,  and  aided 
in  penetrating  the  interior. 

Meanwhile  it  was  all  that  the  five  frail  crafts 
could  do  to  breast  the  extremely  rapid  and  violent 
currents.  Sometimes  the  men  were  obliged  to  go  on 
shore,  and  pull  their  boats  over  the  rapids  which 
they  now  and  then  encountered.  Then  they  came 
upon  treacherous  shoals,  over  which  they  pushed 
their  boats  with  difficulty,  and  where  they  were  at 
times  completely  stranded.  And  now  the  rank 
rushes  and  reeds   grew  so   thick  on  either  bank, 


114  RALEGH  : 

and  so  close  to  the  water's  edge,  that  the  adven- 
turers were  stifled  for  want  of  air,  and  could  not 
find  a  place  on  the  shore  where  to  set  their  feet. 
They  proceeded  thus  slowly,  and  with  so  many 
drawbacks,  for  four  weary  days  ;  at  the  end  of 
which  they  reached  another  branch  of  the  riv-er, 
where  they  were  able  to  proceed  more  easily. 

"We  fell,"  relates  Ralegh,  ''into  as  goodly  a 
river  as  ever  I  beheld,  called  the  Great  Amana, 
which  ran  more  directly  without  windings  or 
turnings  than  the  other ;  but  soon  the  flood  of  the 
sea  left  us,  and  being  forced  either  by  main 
strength  to  row  against  a  violent  current,  or  to 
return  as  wise  as  we  went,  we  had  then  no  shift 
but  to  persuade  the  companies  that  it  was  but  two 
or  three  days'  work,  and  therefore  desired  them  to 
take  pains,  every  gentleman  and  others  taking 
their  turns  to  row.  When  three  days  more  were 
overgone,  our  companies  began  to  despair,  the 
weather  being  extremely  hot,  the  river  bordered 
with  very  high  trees,  that  kept  away  the  air,  and 
the  current  against  us  every  day  stronger  than  the 
other.  But  we  ever  more  commanded  our  pilots 
to  promise  an  end  the  next  day ;  and  used  it  so 
lone:  as  we  were  driven  to  assure  them  from  four 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  •        II5 

reaches  of  the  river  to  three,  and  so  to  two,  and  so 
to  the  next  reach.  But  so  long  we  labored  that 
many  days  were  spent,  and  we  were  driven  our- 
selves to  harder  allowance  of  our  bread  even  at 
the  last,  and  we  had  no  drink  at  all ;  while  our 
men  and  ourselves  were  wearied  and  scorched,  and 
we  were,  withal,  doubtful  whether  we  should  ever 
reach  our  goal  or  no,  the  heat  increasing  as  we 
drew  near  the  equator." 

Still,  with  all  these  obstacles  and  discourage- 
ments, Ralegh  observed  with  great  curiosity  and 
delight  the  strange  country  through  which,  as 
through  a  bright,  varied  panorama,  his  little  flo- 
tilla was  passing.  Before  his  eyes,  here  and 
there,  stretched  broad  and  fertile  plains,  which 
extended  to  the  horizon.  The  rich  grass  was  soft 
as  velvet,  and  of  a  deep,  luxuriant  green.  Stately 
copses  of  wide-spreading,  lofty  trees  formed  cool 
and  lovely  groves  in  the  midst  of  these  charm- 
ing expanses  ;  while  ever  and  anon,  nimble  and 
graceful  deer,  with  their  big,  soft  brown  eyes, 
and  slender  legs,  peered  innocently  and  fearlessly 
through  the  rushes  at  the  voyagers,  and  even  ven- 
tured to  feed  and  drink  on  the  very  bank,  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  boats.     The  adventurers   o:azed 


Il6  RALEGH: 

upon  these  fair  scenes  with  keenest  pleasure,  for 
they  promised  a  fairer  journey  on  ahead. 

"  On  the  banks  of  these  rivers,"  says  Ralegh, 
''were  divers  sorts  of  fruits  good  to  eat;  flowers, 
too,  and  trees  of  such  variety  as  were  sufficient  to 
make  ten  volumes  of  travels.  We  refreshed  our- 
selves many  times  with  the  fruits  of  the  country, 
and  sometimes  with  fowls  and  fish.  We  saw  birds 
of  all  colors  ;  some  carnation,  some  crimson,  or- 
ange, tawny,  purple,  and  so  on  ;  and  it  was  unto  us 
a  great  good  passing  time  to  behold  them,  besides 
the  relief  we  found  by  killing  some  store  of  them 
with  our  fowling-pieces." 

After  some  days,  the  old  Indian  guide  told 
Ralegh  that  they  were  now  quite  near  the  village 
of  which  he  had  spoken.  But  it  would  not  be 
well,  he  said,  that  all  the  boats  should  go  thither ; 
for  that  might  lead  the  natives  to  fear  that  a  hos- 
tile attack  upon  them  was  meditated.  So  Ralegh 
himself,  accompanied  only  by  three  or  four  of  his 
companions  and  by  the  guide,  proceeded  up  a 
branch  of  the  river  in  the  smallest  of  his  boats, 
and  boldly  went  ashore  where  the  huts  of  the 
Indians  were  grouped  together  at  the  river  side. 
The  Indians  at  first  stared  at  the  strangers  with 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  II7 

faces  full  of  fear  and  suspicion,  and  some  of  them 
ran  into  the  woods.     But  the  guide  hastened  to  let 
them  know  that  Ralegh  and  his  comrades  were  not 
Spaniards, —  who  had  got  a  bad  name  through  all 
that  country,  by  reason  of  their  greed  of  gold  and 
many  deeds  of  wanton  cruelty,  —  but  friendly  white 
men,  who  had  come  thither  with  innocent  designs. 
Then  the  natives  gathered  around  the  strangers, 
and    curiously   inspected    them.      Several    young 
Indians  took  hold  of  Ralegh's  tunic,  and  touched 
his  broad  hat,  and  made  other  demonstrations  of 
friendliness  ;  for  their  fears  had  speedily  vanished. 
The  Englishmen  went   freely  into  their  huts  and 
sat  down  ;  and  there  they  were  regaled  with  such 
primitive  fare  as  the  little  village  afforded.     Ralegh 
observed    that   these    natives,    though    living  in  a 
savage  state,  were  gentle  and  simple  in  character, 
and  were,   many  of  them,  handsome  and  graceful 
men  and  women.     After  he  had  duly  inspected  the 
village,  and  had  made  some  presents  to  his  kind- 
hearted   hosts,  he  prepared  to  return  to  the  ren- 
dezvous of  the  boats.     On  his  taking  leave  of  the 
village,    the    natives    brought    him    a    quantity    of 
bread,  fish,  and  hens,   and   he   took  leave  of  them 
with  many  signs  of  friendship  and  cordiality. 


115  RALEGH  : 

Soon  after  returning  to  the  rest  of  his  company 
the  voyage  of  the  boats  was  continued  up  the  Ori- 
noco. They  had  not  gone  far  when  they  saw  two 
canoes  crossing  the  river.  These  they  speedily 
overtook,  and  were  deUghted  to  find  that  they 
contained  a  large  quantity  of  very  nice  bread, — 
the  nicest,  they  declared,  of  which  they  had  par- 
taken since  they  had  left  the  shores  of  old  Eng- 
land. The  feast  which  the  men  had  upon  this 
bread  so  restored  their  spirits,  that  they  exclaimed, 
"  Let  us  go  on  ;  we  care  not  how  far."  As  they 
progressed  they  kept  seeing  other  canoes,  some  of 
which  they  captured,  while  others  escaped  them. 
In  one  of  the  latter  they  were  surprised  and  indig- 
nant to  see  three  Spaniards  ;  but  in  vain  did  they 
give  these  enemies  chase.  Ralegh  had  now 
learned  from  the  Indians  that  the  Spaniards  had 
told  them  that  the  English  were  cannibals  and 
robbers,  and  this  made  him  very  careful  to  always 
treat  the  Indians  so  well  that  they  would  see  that 
the  Spaniards  had  lied. 

The  adventurers  next  came  upon  a  number  of 
Indian  villages  on  the  banks,  at  each  of  which 
they  took  occasion  to  stop.  Ralegh  was  so  kind 
to  the  savages,  that  everywhere  he  went  he  left  a 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I  I9 

good  name  behind  him,  and  completely  won  the 
affection  of  the  various  tribes.  If  any  of  his  men 
stole  anything  from  the  Indian  huts,  he  not  onl) 
caused  the  articles  stolen  to  be  returned,  but 
ordered  the  thieves  to  be  whipped  and  branded  in 
the  presence  of  the  simple  folk  they  had  robbed. 

It  was  not  long  before  all  the  tribes  in  the 
neighboring  country  had  heard  all  about  Ralegh 
and  his  companions,  and  especially  about  the  kind- 
ness with  which  he  treated  the  people  wherever  he 
appeared  among  them.  As  the  boats  passed  up  the 
river,  the  natives  would  come  flocking  down  to  the 
banks  to  greet  the  strangers,  bringing  with  them 
their  women  and  children  ;  and  they  never  failed 
to  offer  Ralegh  a  great  abundance  of  provisions. 
The  Englishmen  feasted  daily  upon  fish  and  fowl, 
succulent  roots,  and  delicious  fruit  of  many  sorts  ; 
and  now  and  then  they  dined  royally  on  the 
haunches  of  venison  which  the  Indians  roasted 
over  the  big  fires  and  laid  before  them.  Among 
the  fruits  which  were  thus  lavishly  bestowed  upon 
the  new-comers  were  pineapples  of  enormous  size, 
and  deliciously  fragrant  and  sweet.  Ralegh  called 
them  "the  prince  of  fruits." 

One  day,  the  boats  reached  a  point  on   the  Ori- 


120  RALEGH : 

noco  where  another  great  river,  only  second  to  the 
Orinoco  in  width  and  the  force  ^of  its  current, 
emptied  into  it.  This  was  the  river  Caroni.  Near 
this  junction  of  streams  the  country  was  more 
beautiful  and  fertile  than  any  which  Ralegh  had 
yet  encountered  in  this  remote  land.  The  river 
banks  and  plains  were  fairly  studded  with  neat, 
prosperous  Indian  villages;  and  as  the  favorable 
news  of  Ralegh  and  his  comrades  had  preceded 
him  thither,  their  welcome  was  as  warm  and 
gratifying  as  possible.  No  sooner  had  they  landed 
in  this  region,  than  the  natives  flocked  about  them 
in  great  numbers,  and  showed  them  in  a  hundred 
ways  how  much  the  English  were  trusted  and 
liked.  "They  came,"  says  Ralegh,  "to  wonder  at 
our  nation,  and  to  bring  us  down  victual,  which 
they  had  in  great  plenty." 

Among  the  Indians  who  thus  gathered  about 
the  voyagers,  was  a  wise  old  chief  named. Topia- 
wari,  with  whom  Ralegh  soon  became  intimate. 
Topiawari  was  a  man  of  rare  gravity  and  judg- 
ment, "  and  of  good  discourse,"  says  Ralegh, 
"though  he  had  had  no  help  of  learning  or  breed." 
With  this  old  chief  Ralegh  held  many  long  and 
interesting   talks,   as    they   sat   beneath    the   cool 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  12  F 

shade  of  the  trees,  whose  broad  branches  arched 
above  the  water.  Topiawari  gave  him  a  minute 
account  of  all  the  tribes  in  the  vicinity,  and  of  the 
productions  and  capabilities  of  the  highly  fertile 
land  of  Guiana ;  and  in  return  shrewdly  questioned 
Ralegh  about  England,  Spain,  and  other  European 
countries. 

One  day,  as  Ralegh  and  his  comrades  were  sit- 
ting in  the  midst  of  the  groups  of  Indians  on  the 
river  bank,  he  told  them  all  about  Queen  Eliza- 
beth and  her  court.  He  spared  no  pains  to  im- 
press upon  their  minds  what  a  mighty  and  gracious 
sovereign  she  was.  "  I  dilated,"  he  says,  '*  on  her 
majesty's  greatness,  her  justice,  her  charity  to  all 
oppressed  nations,  with  as  many  of  the  rest  of  her 
beauties  and  virtues  as  either  I  could  express  or 
they  conceive." 

Perceiving  that  the  Indians  were  deeply  inter- 
ested in  all  the  marvels  he  related  about  the 
queen,  he  beckoned  to  one  of  his  sailors,  and  whis- 
pered in  his  ear.  The  sailor  hastened  down  to 
one  of  the  boats,  and  in  a  few  moments  reappeared, 
bringing  with  him  a  small,  square  object.'  Ralegh 
took  it  from  him,  and  rising  to  his  feet,  held  up  the 
object  to  the  astonished  natives. 


122  RALEGH  : 

"  Here,"  he  exclaimed,  "  is  the  portrait  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  her  own  royal  self.  Gaze  upon  the  face 
of  the  most  powerful  and  brilliant  of  earthly  sov- 
ereigns." 

The  natives  crouched  before  the  picture  in  an 
attitude  of  awe  mingled  with  curiosity.  It  seemed 
as  if  they  regarded  it  almost  as  an  idol,  for  they 
appeared  about  to  prostrate  themselves  before  it. 
"They  so  admired  and  honored  it,"  says  Ralegh, 
"  as  it  had  been  easy  to  have  made  them  idolatrous 
thereof."  They  eagerly  questioned  him  about  the 
royal  lady  for  hours  together,  until  he  fairly  per- 
suaded them  that  she  was  more  than  mortal. 

In  the  midst  of  these  primitive  people,  Ralegh 
and  his  companions  spent  many  happy  days. 
Sometimes  they  went  hunting,  and  made  merry 
feasts  with  the  deer  and  game  they  brought  in. 
They  fished  in  the  broad  and  rapid  Orinoco,  or 
wandered  in  parties  of  two  or  three  through  the 
stately  forests,  or  along  the  sloping  river  banks. 
Ralegh  resolved  to  go  up  the  river  Caroni,  which, 
he  was  told,  would  lead  him  into  the  heart  of  the 
rich  land  of  Guiana.  It  is  true  that  he  failed  to 
hear  any  definite  tidings  of  the  golden  city  which 
the  Spanish  voyagers  had    described  in  colors  so 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 23 

glowing,  or  of  El  Dorado,  its  mighty  king.  But 
the  old  chief,  Topiawari,  told  him  that  Guiana 
abounded  in  fertile  valleys,  and  that  there  were 
many  gold  and  silver  mines  in  various  portions 
of  it. 

So  one  day  he  bade  the  old  chief  and  his  people 
good-by,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  on  his 
return  towards  the  sea,  he  should  see  him  again. 

"  Alas,"  exclaimed  Topiawari  sadly,  "  I  am  very 
old,  and  Death  calls  for  me  daily.  But  yet  I  hope, 
good  Englishman,  to  see  you  once  again." 

Ralegh  divided  his  company  into  four  parties. 
Three  of  these  parties  started  forth  to  explore  the 
country  on  either  bank  of  the  Caroni,  by  land  ; 
while  the  fourth  took  an  eight-oared  boat,  and 
with  great  difficulty  —  for  the  Caroni,  if  anything, 
was  more  rapid  than  the  Orinoco  —  ascended  the 
river.  Ralegh  had  been  told  of  a  famous  cataract, 
which  plunged  and  foamed  over  gigantic  boulders, 
some  miles  above  the  junction  of  the  streams  ;  and 
this  he  was  very  anxious  to  see.  He  went,  there- 
fore, with  the  party  in  the  eight-oared  boat.  It 
was  very  slow  rowing,  but  at  last  the  boat  came  to 
a  place  whence  the  cataract  could  be  seen  and 
heard  in  the  distance. 


124  RALEGH : 

Ralegh  and  his  companions  made  fast  their  boat, 
and  went  on  shore.  They  found  themselves  at  the 
foot  of  a  lofty  hill,  which,  thickly  wooded  near  its 
base  and  along  its  sides,  was  seen  to  be  quite  bald 
and  bare  at  its  summit.  Conducted  by  one  of  the 
natives  as  a  guide,  the  party  ascended  the  emi- 
nence, and,  after  a  toilsome  climb  of  several  hours, 
found  themselves  amid  cool  breezes  and  a  clear 
atmosphere  at  the  top.  The  vision  which  then 
met  their  eyes  filled  them  with  wonder  and  admi- 
ration. Far  below  them,  on  every  side,  stretched 
one  of  the  loveliest  landscapes  which  mortal  vision 
ever  beheld.  Over  hill  and  dale  were  spread 
mighty  forests,  in  some  directions  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  Just  below,  the  broad  and  smiling 
valley  of  the  Caroni  presented  fruitful  fields,  luxu- 
riant meadows,  snug  native  villages,  and  all  the 
brilliant  and  varied  verdure  and  color  of  a  tropical 
clime  ;  while  in  the  distance,  the  still  vaster  valley 
of  the  Orinoco,  with  the  most  fairy-like  scenery 
and  picturesque  slopes,  descended  with  gentle  sweep 
to  the  river  banks. 

But  most  striking  of  all  was  the  series  of  gigan- 
tic cascades,  which  formed  what  the  natives  called 
the  *'  Great  Cataract  "  of  the  Caroni.     The  adven- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  125 

turers  could  distinctly  bear  its  thunderous  roar, 
and  see  the  silvery  spray  dashed  in  big  sheets  into 
the  air.  It  was  such  a  display  of  waters  as  even 
the  most  travelled  among  them  had  never  before 
seen. 

"  We  beheld,"  wrote  Ralegh  afterwards,  *'  the 
wonderful  breach  of  waters  that  ran  down  Caroni, 
and  might,  from  that  mountain,  see  the  river  how 
it  ran  in  three  parts  above  twenty  miles  off;  and 
there  appeared  some  ten  or  twelve  overfalls  in 
sight,  every  one  as  high  above  the  other  as  a 
church  tower,  which  fell  with  that  fury  that  the 
rebound  of  waters  made  it  seem  as  if  it  had  been 
all  covered  over  with  a  great  shower  of  rain.  And 
in  some  places  we  took  it  at  first  for  a  smoke  that 
had  risen  over  some  great  town.  For  my  own 
part,"  he  continues,  "  I  was  well  persuaded  from 
thence  to  have  returned,  being  a  very  bad  walker ; 
but  the  rest  were  all  so  desirous  to  go  nearer  this 
strange  thunder  of  waters,  that  they  drew  me  on, 
by  little  and  little,  until  we  came  into  the  next 
valley,  where  we  might  better  discern  the  cataract. 

*'  I  never  saw  a  more  beautiful  country,  or  more 
lively  prospects  :  hills  so  raised,  here  and  there, 
over    the    valleys ;    the    river  winding   into   divers 


126  RALEGH: 

branches  ;  the  plains  adjoining,  all  green  grass, 
without  bush  or  stubble  ;  the  ground  of  hard  sand, 
easy  to  march  on,  either  for  horse  or  foot ;  the 
deer  crossing  on  every  path  ;  the  birds,  towards 
evening,  singing  on  every  tree  with  a  thousand 
sweet  tunes  ;  cranes  and  herons,  of  white,  crimson, 
and  carnation,  perching  on  the  river's  side  ;  the  air 
fresh,  with  a  gentle,  easterly  wind ;  and  every 
stone  we  stooped  to  pick  up  promising  either  gold 
or  silver,  by  its  complexion." 

Ralegh  and  his  party  explored  the  river  above 
the  cataract,  to  see  whether  the  expedition  could 
proceed  by  it  further  into  the  depths  of  the  coun- 
try ;  but  the  Caroni  was  at  that  point  so  boisterous 
and  rapid,  and  so  full  of  waterfalls  and  rocks,  that 
Ralegh  decided  a  longer  journey  by  this  way  im- 
possible. The  party  therefore  clambered  down  to 
their  boat  again,  and  the  swift  current  soon  wafted 
them  back  to  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers. 

On  returning  to  the  place  of  rendezvous,  they 
found  that  the  other  three  parties,  who  had  gone 
exploring  on  foot,  had  arrived  before  them,  and 
were  awaiting  them  with  much  eagerness  and 
anxiety.  Ralegh  was  welcomed  with  a  hearty 
greeting,   and   hastened    to   ask    the    parties   what 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  12/ 

they  had  seen  and  found.  They  had  many  mar- 
vellous incidents  to  relate.  The  leader  of  one  of 
the  parties  assured  him  that  they  had  discovered 
traces  of  gold  in  many  places,  and  in  witness  of 
this,  he  showed  Ralegh  several  pieces  of  the  shin- 
ing ore. 

"  We  had  with  us,"  said  he,  "  no  tools  or  other 
appliances  with  which  to  get  the  ore  out,  and  so 
we  tore  it  out  as  well  as  we  could  with  our  dag- 
gers, and  even  with  our  fingers.  For,  sir,  the 
veins  in  these  places  lie,  most  often,  a  fathom  or 
two  deep  in  the  rocks.  Near  one  of  the  rivers  I 
found  of  white  spar,  or  flint,  a  very  great  ledge  or 
bank,  which  I  endeavored  to  break  by  every  means 
I  could,  because  there  appeared  on  the  outside 
some  small  grains  of  gold  ;  but  finding  no  means  to 
work  the  same  upon  the  upper  part,  on  seeking  the 
sides  of  the  rock,  I  found  a  cleft  in  it  from  whence, 
with  daggers  and  the  head  of  an  axe,  we  got  out  a 
small  quantity  of  it." 

This  story  of  the  finding  of  gold  filled  Ralegh 
and  all  his  companions  with  dazzling  anticipa- 
tions. It  seemed  to  give  promise,  after  all,  of  those 
glittering  riches  of  which  they  had  heard  so  much, 
and  of  a  discovery  which  would  carry  their  renown 


128  RALEGH  I 

throughout  the  world.  Ralegh  himself  had  another 
object  in  making  his  perilous  expedition,  besides 
that  of  finding  the  jDrecious  metals.  It  was  his 
ambition  to  establish  the  English  dominion  in 
America;  to  deprive  the  Spaniards  of  some  of  the 
glory  of  western  discovery,  and  divide  it  with 
them  ;  to  capture  possessions  for  Queen  Elizabeth, 
which  otherwise  would  fall  into  Spanish  hands ; 
and  to  secure  a  place  on  American  soil  where 
English  colonists  might  go,  and  settle,  and  thrive. 
But  it  was  a  great  source  of  joy  to  him  that  he 
could  carry  back  to  the  old  country  the  news,  that 
in  this  new  land  which  he  had  explored,  and  in 
which  he  had,  by  kind  treatment,  won  the  affection 
of  the  native  tribes,  there  was  certainly  a  vast  and 
unknown  treasure  of  the  precious  metals. 

No  sooner  had  the  parties  returned  to  their  old 
quarters  than  the  natives  again  flocked  to  see 
them,  and  to  bring  them,  as  a  proof  of  their  good 
will,  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions.  The  place 
soon  had  the  appearance,  as  Ralegh  declared,  of 
*'a  great  market,  or  fair,  in  England;"  for  the 
natives  heaped  up  their  venison  and  other  game, 
their  fruits,  herbs  and  roots,  in  rows ;  and  the 
wearied,   hungry,  worn-out  travellers  were  invited 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 29 

to  pass  among  the  piled-up  heaps  of  good  things, 
and  to  help  themselves,  each  to  that  which  he 
most  craved  Thus  the  adventurers  passed  several 
days,  feasting  and  makin<£  merry,  and  amusing 
themselves  with  tne  good-hearted  natives. 


I  so  RALEGH  : 


CHAPTER    IX. 

ralegh's  return  home. 

NE  day,  while  Ralegh  was  sitting  in  front 
of  his  tent,  chatting  and  smoking  with 
some  of  his  comrades,  he  saw  a  group  of 
Indians  approaching  him  ;  and  when  they  came 
near,  he  was  surprised  and  delighted  to  perceive 
that  the  foremost  of  them  was  his  old  friend,  the 
chief  Topiawari.  He  hastened  to  rise  and  em- 
brace the  aged  man,  and  invite  him  into  his  tent. 
Topiawari,  whose  tribe  dwelt  some  distance  above 
on  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco,  had  conceived  such 
an  affection  for  Ralegh,  that  when  he  heard  of  his 
return  to  the  junction  of  the  rivers,  he  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  to  talk  with  the  kind  and 
brave  Englishman  once  more. 

The  old  chief,  as  has  been  said,  was  intelligent 
and  wise  far  above  the  rest  of  the  natives  whom 
Ralegh  met ;  and  Ralegh  now  spent  many  hours 
each  day  talking  with  him,  listening  to  his  accounts 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I3I 

of  the  neighboring  tribes,  and  planning  with  him 
how  the  Spaniards  should  be  kept  out  of  the 
country,  and  how  the  English  should  establish 
themselves  there.  He  found  Topiawari  eager  that 
the  English  should  become  the  masters  of  Guiana, 
and  ready  to  do  anything  he  could  to  bring  about 
such  an  end.  Topiawari  then  asked  Ralegh  if  he 
would  not  leave  some  of  his  companions  behind, 
so  as  to  aid  the  natives  in  repelling  the  attacks  of 
the  Spaniards.  It  appeared  that  many  of  the  Eng- 
lish were  as  anxious  to  remain  as  the  natives  were 
to  have  them.  Ralegh  told  the  old  chief  that  his 
force  was  already  so  small  that  he  could  with  diffi- 
culty protect  himself  on  his  return  ;  but  he  con- 
sented at  last  to  leave  two  of  his  most  trusted 
followers,  who  should  remain  in  the  country  until 
another  expedition  should  come  thither  from  Eng- 
land. 

The  two  men  who  were  chosen  to  remain  were 
Francis  Sparrey,  and  a  youth  named  Hugh  Good- 
win. It  may  be  said  here  that  Sparrey,  after 
dwelling  several  years  among  the  Indians,  and 
meeting  with  many  thrilling  adventures,  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Spaniards,  and  sent  in  irons  to  Spain, 
where  he  was  long  kept  in  prison,  and  returned  at 


132  RALEGH: 

last  to  England  seven  years  after  Ralegh's  expedi- 
tion to  Guiana.  The  youth,  Goodwin,  remained 
with  the  Indians  a  great  while,  and  there  Ralegh 
found  him,  more  than  twenty  years  after,  dressed 
in  the  native  costume,  and  having  become  so  fixed 
in  all  the  native  ways  and  habits,  that  he  had 
almost  forgotten  his  own  language. 

Shortly  before  parting  from  Ralegh,  the  old 
chief,  Topiawari,  gave  him  his  only  son,  a  fine 
young  Indian,  to  take  with  him  to  England  ;  "for," 
said  the  chief,  "  I  have  not  long  to  live  ;  but  if  my 
son  goes  with  you,  he  will  become  established  as 
my  successor,  by  the  aid  of  the  valiant  EngUsh." 

Ralegh  now  began  to  make  his  final  preparations 
to  descend  the  rapid  waters  of  the  Orinoco,  and 
once  more  make  his  way  to  his  ships  on  the  island 
of  Trinidad.  After  bidding  an  affectionate  adieu 
to  Topiawari  and  the  crowd  of  natives  who  bit- 
terly bewailed  his  departure,  the  boats  were  shoved 
from  the  shore,  and  speedily  floated  out  of  sight 
of  the  spot  where  the  adventurers  had  spent  so 
many  happy  hours.  The  descent  of  the  river  was, 
of  course,  far  more  quick  and  easy  than  the  ascent 
had  been  ;  yet  it  was  not  without  its  accidents  and 
dangers.     Sometimes  the  boats  plunged  and  floun- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 33 

tiered  among  perilous  rapids,  where  every  moment 
it  seemed  as  if  they  would  be  dashed  to  pieces. 
Then  one  of  them  would  be  stranded  on  a  shoal, 
so  that  all  hands  were  forced  to  turn  out  and  push 
it  off  again.  Sometimes  they  were  assailed  from 
the  shore  by  tribes  which  were  hostile  to  the  In- 
dians whose  friendship  Ralegh  had  won  above  ;  and 
the  voyagers  narrowly  escaped  the  arrows,  javelins, 
and  big  stones  which  these  savages,  with  many  a 
fierce  cry  and  war-whoop,  hurled  upon  them  from 
behind  the  canes  and  reeds  which  clustered  on 
the  river  banks.  Ever  and  anon,  too,  they  were 
threatened  by  the  wild  beasts  which  dwelt  in  the 
tropical  forests  and  swamps  along  their  course. 
Panthers  and  leopards  glared  at  them,  and  showed 
their  glistening  fangs  from  between  the  rank  leaves 
at  the  water's  edge.  Alligators  and  snakes  thrust 
up  their  shiny,  scale-covered  heads,  and  seemed 
about  to  approach  the  boats.  Occasionally,  the 
occupants  of  the  boats  would  go  on  shore,  and 
engage  in  a  day's  hunt,  bringing  back  a  welcome 
supply  of  deer  and  birds  for  their  evening  meal. 

The  descent  of  the  river,  too,  was  not  without 
more  than  one  thrilling  adventure  and  hair-breadth 
escape.     One  incident  was  thus  related  by  Ralegh 


134  RALEGH: 

himself,  in  his  narrative  of  the  expedition.  One 
day,  when  the  party  had  gone  ashore  to  rest, 
Ralegh,  with  a  number  of  picked  men,  went  a 
short  way  into  the  interior,  to  an  Indian  town 
called  Winecapora. 

"  The  chief,"  he  says,  ''  was  one  Timitwara,  at 
whose  house,  it  being  one  of  their  feast-days,  we 
found  the  Indians  all  as  drunk  as  beggars,  and  the 
pots  walking  from  one  to  another  without  rest. 
We,  being  weary  and  hot  with  marching,  were  glad 
of  the  plenty,  though  a  small  quantity  satisfied  us, 
their  drink  being  strong  and  heady.  After  we  had 
fed,  we  drew  ourselves  back  to  our  boats  on  the 
river ;  and  then  came  to  us  all  the  lords  of  the 
country,  with  all  such  kinds  of  victual  as  the  place 
yielded,  and  with  their  delicate  wine  of  pines,  and 
with  abundance  of  hens  and  other  provisions,  and 
of  those  stones  which  we  call  spleen  stones.  We 
understood  by  these  chieftains  that  their  lord,  Car- 
apana,  had  departed  from  Emeria,  which  was  now 
in  sight,  and  that  he  had  fled  to  the  mountains  of 
Guiana,  being  persuaded  by  the  Spaniards  who  lay 
at  his  house  that  we  would  destroy  him  and  the 
country." 

As  the  voyagers  approached  the  labyrinth  of  the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  1 35 

mouths  of  the  Orinoco,  their  hardships  rapidly 
increased.  The  stormy  season  had  now  come  on, 
and  the  river  daily  became  more  tempestuous  and 
hard  to  navigate.  At  times,  the  rowers  were 
almost  fain  to  give  up  in  despair.  But  Ralegh's 
soul  was  full  of  hope  and  courage,  and  he  kept 
constantly  encouraging  his  wearied  comrades,  and 
inspiring  them  with  his  own  dauntless  and  perse- 
vering spirit.  Involved  in  the  perplexing  outlets, 
the  difficulties  continually  increased. 

"  We  were  now,"  relates  Ralegh,  •*  in  a  most 
desperate  state.  For  the  same  night  in  which  we 
anchored  in  the  mouth  of  the  river  Capuri,  where 
it  falls  into  the  sea,  there  arose  a  mighty  storm  ; 
the  river's  mouth  was  at  least  a  league  broad,  so 
that  we  ran,  before  night,  close  under  the  land 
with  our  small  boats,  and  brought  the  galley  as 
near  as  we  could.  But  she  had  as  much  to  do  to 
live  as  could 'be,  and  there  wanted  little  of  her 
sinking,  and  all  those  who  were  in  her.  The 
longer  we  tarried,  the  worse  it  was  ;  and  therefore 
I  took  Captains  Gififord  and  Caulfield  and  my 
cousin  Grenville  into  my  barge.  After  it  cleared 
up,  we  put  ourselves  into  God's  keeping,  and  thrust 
out  into  the  sea,  leaving  the  galley  at  anchor,  as  it 


136  RALEGH: 

durst  not  adventure,  except  by  daylight.  And  so, 
being  all  very  sober  and  melancholy,  one  faintly 
cheering  another  to  show  courage,  it  pleased  God 
that  the  next  day,  about  nine  o'clock,  we  descried 
the  island  of  Trinidad  ;  and  steering  for  the  near- 
est part  of  it,  we  kept  the  shore  till  we  came  to 
Curiapan,  where  we  found  our  ships  at  anchor  ;  than 
which  there  was  never  to  us  a  more  joyful  sight." 

The  weather-beaten  travellers  rested  with  great 
comfort  at  Curiapan,  and  loitered  there,  on  board 
the  good  ships  which  had  awaited  them,  for  several 
weeks.  Ralegh  at  first  thought  that,  instead  of 
sailing  at  once  for  England,  he  would  make  a 
voyage  to  Virginia,  and  seek  for  the  colony  which 
he  had  so  long  before  tried  to  plant  there.  But 
the  stormy  weather  at  last  compelled  him  reluc- 
tantly to  give  up  this  project ;  and  so  it  happened 
that  Ralegh  never  saw  any  part  of  North  America, 
which  he  had  so  ardently  desired  to  settle  and 
civilize. 

The  homeward  voyage  was  accomplished  with 
little  incident,  and  with  no  serious  mishap.  On 
the  way,  Ralegh  stopped  at  several  Spanish  settle- 
ments, where  he  forced  the  people  to  furnish  his 
ships   with  provisions  ;    for  Queen   Elizabeth    had 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 37 

commanded  him  to  do  the  Spaniards  all  the  injury 
he  could,  whenever  and  wherever  he  had  the 
chance. 

It  was  a  warm  day  in  the  latter  part  of  August, 
1595,  when  the  ships  at  last  came  in  sight  of  the 
familiar  harbor  of  Plymouth.  All  on  board  were 
wild  with  joy,  on  espying  the  well-known  features 
of  the  coast,  with  the  reflection  that,  after  all  their 
perils  and  adventures  and  hardships,  they  were 
about  to  set  foot  on  their  native  land  once  more. 
Ralegh  thought  of  his  sweet  wife,  awaiting  him 
with  beating  heart  in  the  luxurious  solitude  of 
Sherborne;  and  of  the  queen,  who  perhaps  had 
forgotten  the  gallant  voyager  amid  the  splendid 
pleasures  and  incidents  of  the  court.  He  won- 
dered what  had  been  going  on  in  England  during 
his  long  and  weary  absence  from  home  ;  and  was 
impatient  that  all  the  world  should  hear  the  thrill- 
ing nev/s  of  his  explorations  and  discoveries. 

Anchoring  in  Plymouth  harbor,  he  lost  no  time 
in  hastening  to  Sherborne,  where,  it  may  well  be 
believed,  he  met  with  a  tearfully  loving  welcome. 
It  seemed  delightful  to  be  resting  once  more  in  his 
great  hall,  and  to  wander  leisurely  through  his  um- 
brageous park ;    to  be  once  more  attired  in  soft 


138  RALEGH : 

raiment  and  gay  colors  ;  to  have  his  books  and 
charts  about  him,  and  to  greet  the  host  of  old 
friends  who  flocked  to  see  him  when  they  heard  of 
his  return.  But,  charming  as  it  was  to  be  with  his 
young  wife,  and  to  enjoy  again  the  ease  and  com- 
fort of  Sherborne,  it  was  not  long  before  Ralegh 
became  uneasy  to  visit  London,  to  present  him- 
self to  the  queen,  and  to  make  known  at  court  the 
tidings  of  all  he  had  seen  and  heard  across  the 
seas. 

Queen  Elizabeth  was  now  an  old  woman.  She 
had  reigned  for  nearly  forty  years  ;  her  beauty  had 
long  before  departed,  and  with  the  approach  of  age 
she  had  lost  many  of  the  graces  and  attractions 
for  which  she  had  been  renowned  in  the  earlier 
period  of  her  sovereignty.  She  had  become  more 
and  more  capricious,  irritable,  and  petulant  in  her 
ways  at  court ;  and,  strangely  enough,  she  still 
craved  flattery,  and  demanded  the  most  slavish 
attentions  from  those  whom  she  looked  upon  as 
her  lovers.  For  Ralegh,  however,  she  had  long 
ceased  to  feel  the  liking  which  she  had  at  one  time 
shown ;  and  so  when  one  day  he  made  his  ap- 
pearance, and  approached  her  with  all  his  old 
deference   and   elegance   of    bearing,    she  plainly 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 39 

betrayed  her  indifference  to  him.  She  did,  how- 
ever, so  far  acknowledge  his  great  services  as  to 
create  him  a  Knight  ;  so  he  was  thenceforward 
known  as  Sir  Walter  Ralegh. 

The  people  in  general  were  greatly  excited,  and 
rejoiced  to  hear  of  his  success,  and  to  know  that 
Ralegh  had  won  so  important  an  advantage  over 
the  hated  Spaniards  in  Guiana.  His  praises  were 
in  their  mouths,  and  everywhere  he  went  he  was 
greeted  as  if  he  were  a  hero.  But  his  old  enemies 
at  court  did  all  they  could  to  deprive  him  of  the 
renown,  as  a  voyager  and  discoverer,  which  was 
justly  his  due.  Some  of  them  eagerly  sought  to 
persuade  the  old  queen  that  all  that  Ralegh 
narrated  was  a  lie.  They  declared  that  he  had 
never  been  across  the  Atlantic  at  all,  but  that 
while  he  pretended  to  have  done  so,  he  had  really 
gone  down  to  Cornwall,  and  had  kept  himself  hid 
there  all  these  months.  They  said  that  there  was 
no  such  place  as  Guiana,  and  that  Ralegh  only 
desired  to  win  fame  for  doing  what  he  had  never 
done.  These  slanders  wounded  the  valiant  voy- 
ager to  the  quick.  He  resolved  that  he  would 
write  a  full  account  of  his  expedition,  and  publish 
it,  so  that  all  the  world  should  know  what  he  had 


140  RALEGH  : 

really  accomplished.  So  he  went  down  to  Sher- 
borne, and  shut  himself  up  for  several  months  ; 
and  when  he  returned  to  London,  he  had  finished 
his  book,  "The  Discovery  of  Guiana,"  which 
was  read  throughout  England  with  the  deepest 
interest. 

Although  Ralegh  was  now  out  of  favor  with  the 
queen,  and  was  therefore  but  seldom  seen  about 
the  royal  court,  he  was  still  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  figures  in  London  society.  After 
completing  his  book,  he  entered  with  all  his  old 
zest  into  the  pleasures  and  gayeties  of  the  city, 
and  found  consolation  for  the  neglect  of  the 
queen  in  the  company  of  many  of  the  most  emi- 
nent men  of  the  day.  He  was  the  friend  of 
Lord  Bacon,  then  in  the  height  of  his  fame  as  a 
scholar  and  philosopher.  Sir  Robert  Cecil,  the 
son  of  the  sage  old  Lord  Burleigh,  and  one  of  the 
rising  statesmen  of  the  age,  admired  and  honored 
the  bold  discoverer  of  Guiana;  while  even  the  proud 
and  jealous  Essex,  who  had  supplanted  Ralegh  in 
the  affections  of  the  queen,  and  was  still  her  ruling 
favorite,  became  one  of  his  intimate  companions, 
and  for  a  while  a  warm  friendship  existed  between 
the  former  rivals. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I4I 

Ralegh,  a  poet  and  scholar,  was  very  fond  of  the 
drama  ;  and  no  cavalier  of  those  days  was  more 
often  seen  at  the  theatres.  He  was  present  many 
a  night  at  the  Globe  and  Blackfriars  theatres, 
where  the  plays  of  Shakspere  were  produced  and 
were  managed  by  the  illustrious  author  himself,  and 
saw  Shakspere  take  the  part  of  the  ghost  of  Ham- 
let's father.  Ralegh  thus  came  to  know  all  the 
leading  dramatists  and  actors  of  the  time.  He 
was  wont  to  pass  evenings  of  revelry  and  brilliant 
wit  at  the  Blue  Boar,  with  Shakspere  himself,  and 
"rare  Ben  Jonson,"  and  held  his  own  with  those 
bright  geniuses  in  the  sparkle  of  conversation 
which  flashed  about  the  heavy-laden  tables  of  the 
cosy  old  inn.  He  told  the  story  of  his  adventures 
across  the  seas,  while  the  poets  listened  spell- 
bound to  the  thrilling  narrative  ;  and  it  seems  cer- 
tain that  Shakspere  made  use  of  the  accounts  of 
Ralegh  in  some  of  his  descriptions  of  strange 
countries  and  seas,  in  his  "Tempest"  and  "Othello." 
Amid  this  round  of  social  pleasures,  Ralegh  did 
not  forget  his  great  project  to  plant  an  English 
settlement  in  Guiana.  Happily  he  was  still  a  rich 
man,  and  could  pursue  his  ambition  without  assist- 
ance from  the  old  queen,  who  had  become  indiffer- 


142  RALEGH  : 

ent  to  discovery  in  America.  He  accordingly 
fitted  out,  early  in  the  year  after  his  return,  an- 
other expedition  for  Guiana.  He  could  not  him- 
self go  with  it,  for  he  foresaw  that  an  event  was 
about  to  happen  which  made  his  remaining  at 
home  necessary ;  so  he  chose  Captain  Keymis, 
one  of  his  comrades  on  the  last  voyage,  to  com- 
mand the  new  enterprise. 

Keymis  reached  the  Orinoco  in  safety,  and  as- 
cended the  stream,  as  the  previous  expedition  had 
done.  But  what  was  his  surprise  and  grief,  on 
reaching  the  river  Caroni,  to  find  that  the  Span- 
iards under  Berreo  had  arrived  before  him,  and 
were  encamped  at  the  junction  of  the  river!  He 
had  not  sufficient  force,  unfortunately,  to  attack 
them,  and  was  forced  to  divert  his  route,  and  pro- 
ceed another  way  up  the  Orinoco.  He  penetrated 
some  distance  further  into  the  country  than  Ralegh 
had  done,  and  made  some  valuable  discoveries. 
Everywhere  he  went,  he  found  that  the  Indians 
remembered  Ralegh  with  affection,  and  that  they 
were  very  anxious  that  the  English  should  come  in 
large  numbers,  and  drive  the  hated  Spaniards  out ; 
for  everywhere  the  Spaniards  went,  they  robbed 
and  killed  the  natives  without  mercy. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I43 

When  Keymis  returned  to  England  and  made 
his  report  to  Ralegh,  the  latter  resolved  that  still 
another  party  should  go  out  to  Guiana.  He  fitted 
up  another  small  vessel,  which  he  placed  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Leonard  Berry.  This 
expedition,  however,  did  not  achieve  more  than 
that  of  Keymis  had  done  ;  but  it  at  least  showed 
the  Indians  that  Ralegh  had  not  forgotten  them. 

Meanwhile  Ralegh's  thoughts  and  time  were 
absorbed  by  a  bold  military  project,  which  had 
gradually  ripened  in  the  minds  of  English  states- 
men and  generals,  and  in  which  he  burned  with 
a  desire  to  take  a  stirring  part.  This  was  a 
desperate  attack  on  the  Spanish  port  of  Cadiz. 
England  and  Spain  were  still  bitter  foes.  The 
defeat  of  the  Armada,  eight  years  before,  had  only 
fanned  the  flames  of  this  hostility.  King  Philip, 
proud  and  warlike,  had  never  become  reconciled  to 
the  destruction  of  his  splendid  fleet  in  the  British 
Channel.  He  yearned  for  revenge,  and  had  for 
years  devoted  himself  to  the  raising  of  another 
naval  armament,  with  which  to  once  more  attack 
his  obstinate  enemy.  This  new  fleet  was  now 
gathered  in  Cadiz  harbor,  and  the  purpose  of  the 
English  was  to  assail,  and  if  possible  to  destroy  it. 


144  RALEGH  : 

They  also  intended  to  capture  the  rich  and  beauti- 
ful city  of  Cadiz  itself,  wherein  they  were  sure  to 
find  a  great  deal  of  booty  to  bring  away  with 
them. 

Among  those  who  were  most  eager  to  make  this 
attack  were  the  gallant  Lord  Howard  of  Effing- 
ham, who  had  commanded  in  the  battle  with  the 
Armada,  the  Earl  of  Essex,  Lord  Bacon,  and  Ra- 
legh. The  queen,  who  had  grown  timid  in  her  old 
age,  at  first  refused  to  listen  to  the  plan ;  but  finally 
gave  her  reluctant  consent.  It  was  resolved  that 
the  English  fleet  should  be  commanded  by  Lord 
Howard  and  the  Earl  of  Essex,  the  former  direct- 
ing the  movements  of  the  ships,  and  the  latter 
leading  the  land  forces.  With  them,  second  in 
command,  were  to  go  Ralegh,  and  Thomas  How- 
ard, the  admiral's  son.  Ralegh  at  once  set  to  work 
busily  enlisting  sailors  and  soldiers,  and  preparing 
for  departure. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  fleet  was  collected  in  Plym- 
outh harbor ;  and  a  noble  sight  it  was  to  see  this 
forest  of  lordly  vessels,  newly  fitted  and  painted, 
with  their  flags  and  pennons  floating  in  the  bril- 
liant June  sunlight,  their  guns  peeping  grimly  from 
the  port-holes,  and  their  decks  crowded  with  gayly 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I45 

dressed  soldiers,  tough,  bronzed  sailors,  and  groups 
of  officers  with  velvet  cloaks  and  plumed  hats.  In 
all,  the  English  fleet  comprised  seventeen  men-of- 
war  and  seventy-six  smaller  craft,  most  of  which 
were  used  for  the  transporting  of  the  soldiers. 
There  were,  besides,  a  large  number  of  pinnaces 
and  other  small  boats,  which  were  to  follow  the 
expedition.  The  fleet  was  divided  into  four  squad- 
rons, one  of  five  vessels,  the  other  three  of  four 
vessels  each ;  and  one  of  these  squadrons  was 
placed  under  Ralegh's  command. 

A  short  time  before  the  day  appointed  for  the 
sailing  of  the  expedition,  a  fine  fleet  of  Dutch  men- 
of-war  made  its  appearance  in  the  channel,  and  was 
greeted,  as  it  drew  slowly  into  the  harbor,  by  a 
deafening  shout  of  welcoming  cheers.  This  Dutch 
fleet  had  come  to  join  that  of  England  in  the 
attack  upon  Cadiz.  It  consisted  of  twenty-four 
vessels,  and  brought  about  twenty-five  hundred 
Dutch  soldiers,  in  quaint,  prim  uniforms,  and  with 
stout,  sturdy  frames.  In  all,  the  force  of  the  com- 
bined squadrons  consisted  of  about  sixteen  thou- 
sand soldiers  and  sailors. 

Ralegh,  who  had  now  gathered  his  quota  of 
men,  and  had  assumed  the  command  of  his  squad- 


146  RALEGH  : 

ron,  hailed  with  delight  the  order  of  Lord  Howard 
that  the  armament  should  set  sail.  With  swelling 
heart  he  gazed  at  the  long  line  of  stately  vessels, 
as,  four  abreast,  they  slowly  sailed  out  of  the  har- 
bor. The  guns  thundered  forth  a  cheery  farewell 
to  old  England  ;  the  shouts  from  the  decks  were 
echoed  by  answering  cries  from  the  multitudes 
who,  from  the  wharves,  witnessed  the  departure ; 
and  then  Ralegh  turned  his  gaze  seaward,  and 
gave  himself  up  to  the  visions  of  the  glory  he 
hoped  to  reap  from  the  dangerous  venture  on  which 
he  had  embarked. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I47 


CHAPTER  X. 

SEA-FIGHTS    WITH    THE    SPANIARDS. 

HE  fleet  arrived  in  sight  of  Cadiz  about 
a  fortnight  after  setting  sail.  On  the 
voyage,  Ralegh  detached  his  squadron 
from  the  rest  and  sailed  on  ahead,  in  order  to  in- 
tercept any  Spanish  vessels  which  might  be  going 
to  or  coming  from  Cadiz.  He  scoured  the  sea 
off  the  Spanish  coast,  and  took  several  prizes  ;  and 
then  hastened  to  rejoin  the  fleet.  When  he  came 
near  the  other  vessels,  he  saw,  to  his  surprise,  that 
the  soldiers  were  disembarking  from  them,  and 
were  taking  boats  to  go  on  shore.  He  hastened 
on  board  the  ship  where  the  Earl  of  Essex  was, 
and  protested  against  landing  the  troops.  With 
earnest  eloquence  he  insisted  that  the  Spanish 
fleet  should  be  attacked  and  conquered  before  the 
town  was  assailed  by  the  land  forces. 

At  first  the  Earl  of  Essex,  who  commanded  the 
land  forces,  was  impatient  to  begin  by  taking  the 


148  RALEGH  : 

town.  Ralegh,  however,  was  determined.  He 
hastened  from  Essex's  ship  to  that  of  Lord  Howard, 
the  admiral,  and  persuaded  him  that  the  best  way 
was  to  first  fight  the  ships.  Essex  soon  came  to  the 
same  conclusion  ;  and  anxious  as  he  had  been  at 
the  beginning  for  the  land  attack,  he  was  now  so 
glad  that  the  fleet  was  to  go  into  action  first, 
that,  taking  his  handsome  plumed  hat,  he  threw  it 
into  the  water  in  his  delight.  The  soldiers  were 
ordered  to  return  on  board  the  ships  from  the 
boats,  and  Lord  Howard  gave  the  command  to  the 
squadrons  to  prepare  for  the  conflict. 

The  harbor  of  Cadiz  was  seen  to  be  crowded 
with  a  perfect  forest  of  stately  men-of-war.  There 
were  many  more  ships  than  the  attacking  fleet 
contained.  They  were  ranged  in  compact  rows 
close  to  the  shore,  just  beneath  the  towering  and 
frowning  castle  of  Cadiz  ;  and  on  either  side  they 
were  protected  by  fortresses,  whence  heavy  guns 
peeped  forth  to  defend  them.  In  all,  there  were 
nearly  sixty  large  vessels,  four  of  which  were  great 
galleons,  which,  with  their  lofty  sides  and  enormous 
bulk,  looked  fairly  invincible.  Besides  these,  there 
were  twenty  galleys  moored  near  by. 

Under  cover  of  the  dusk,  on  the  evening  of  the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 49 

20th  of  June,  1 596,  the  British  ships  quietly  and 
rapidly  took"  their  position  in  line.  To  the  gallant 
Ralegh,  whose  wise  advice  had  decided  the  manner 
of  attack,  was  given  the  honor  of  leading  it.  The 
ships  of  his  squadron,  therefore,  assumed  their 
places  in  the  van  of  the  fleet.  His  own  flag-ship, 
the  "Water-Sprite,"  floated  in  the  very  front  of  the 
entire  array.  Just  behind  were  the  "  Mary  Rose," 
commanded  by  Ralegh's  cousin,  Sir  George  Carew, 
and  the  "Rainbow,"  commanded  by  Sir  Francis 
Vere.  In  the  rear  of  these  were  the  '*  Lion," 
"  Dreadnaught,"  and  '*  Nonpareil,"  —  all  sturdy 
men-of-war,  full-armed,  their  occupants  eager  for 
the  fray. 

''With  the  first  peep  of  day,"  writes  Ralegh, 
describing  the  battle,  "  I  weighed  anchor,  and  bore 
down  on  the  Spanish  fleet,  taking  the  start  of  all 
ours  a  good  distance."  It  was  not  long  before 
Ralegh's  approach  was  observed  from  the  Spanish 
fleet.  Instantly  a  huge  galleon,  the  '*  Saint  Philip," 
the  largest  in  the  Spanish  navy,  swung  out  of  her 
position,  followed  by  the  "  Saint  Andrew,"  second 
only  to  the  other  in  size.  Ralegh  thought  that  these 
sea-giants  were  coming  to  meet  him.  Instead  of 
that,  they  sailed  for  a  narrow  strait  in  the  harbor, 


150  RALEGH: 

followed  by  the  rest  of  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  cast 
anchor  just  under  a  great  fortress,  called  Fort 
Puntal.  There  the  big  galleons  and  their  sister 
ships  ranged  themselves  in  close  array,  and  awaited 
the  Englishman's  attack. 

Ralegh,  with  the  impetuous  courage  of  his  char- 
acter, bore  straight  down  upon  this  formidable 
array.  The  sun's  rays  were  just  now  streaming 
over  the  picturesque  town,  gilding  its  pinnacles 
and  spires,  and  lighting  up  the  whole  scene  in  the 
harbor.  The  ''  Water-Sprite,"  ''  Mary  Rose,"  and 
"  Rainbow  "  led  the  attacking  fleet,  their  streamers 
flying  and  their  big  sails  flapping  in  the  brisk 
morning  breeze. 

As  soon  as  Ralegh  had  come  near  enough  to  the 
"  Saint  Philip"  and  the  "  Saint  Andrew,"  he  ordered 
his  cannon  to  open  their  throats.  Then  arose  the 
dread  din  and  confusion  of  naval  conflict.  To 
Ralegh's  cannon  answered  those  of  the  Spanish 
galleons  and  of  Fort  Puntal.  Ralegh  himself  passed 
rapidly  from  point  to  point  on  deck,  encouraging 
and  urging  on  his  men,  and  exposing  himself  as 
freely  as  the  rest ;  wherever  there  was  faltering, 
there  he  appeared,  and  with  burning  words  inspired 
the  troops  to  their  utmost  exertion. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I51 

Ralegh  was  anxious  to  fight  his  way  on  board 
the    mighty    ''Saint    PhiHp."      But    he    had    been 
ordered    not    to    do    so    until    the    fly-boats    came 
up.      He     fought    on    desperately   for    three    long 
hours,    but    the    fly-boats   did    not   arrive.     Mean- 
while, the  booming  of  the  cannon,   the  clouds  of 
smoke,  the  shouts  and  noise,  were  heard  with  im- 
patience  by  the   rest   of  the   English  fleet  in   the 
rear.     The  Earl  of  Essex,  burning  with  eagerness 
to  take  his  part  in  the  excitement  and  peril  of  the 
fray,  at   last   found    it    impossible    to  lie  idle  any 
longer,  and  ordered  his  flag-ship  to  pass  through 
the  advance  line  of  vessels,  and  make  its  way  to  the 
front.     Ralegh  soon  found  Essex  close  by  his  side; 
he  was   now  chafing  with    rage    because   the   fly- 
boats    had    not   come.     In    spite  of  the   peril,  he 
jumped  into  a  light  skiff;  and  was  rowed  over  to 
Essex's   ship.     He  told  Essex  he  would   certainly 
board  the  •'  Saint  Philip,"  if  the  fly-boats  did  not 
soon  arrive,  even  though  it  were  against  the  admi- 
ral's orders.     "  For,"  said  he  to  the  Earl,  ^'  to  burn 
or  to  sink  is  the  same  loss  ;  and  I  must  endure  one 
or  other." 

"I    will    second   you,"   answered   the   generous 
Essex,  "  upon  my  honor." 


152  RALEGH  : 

Ralegh  hastened  back  with  all  speed  to  the 
"  Water  Sprite,"  where  his  men  were  fighting  with 
desperate  and  leonine  courage.  No  sooner  had  he 
mounted  to  the  deck,  however,  than  he  perceived 
that  two  other  vessels  of  his  squadron,  the  "  Rain- 
bow" and  "Nonpareil,"  had  forced  themselves  into 
a  position  in  front  of  his  own.  Their  commanders 
were  eager  to  bear  the  peril  and  win  the  honors  of 
the  sea-fight.  But  Ralegh  was  not  willing  that 
this  glory  should  be  thus  snatched  from  him  ;  so 
he  ran  the  "Water  Sprite"  between  the  other  two 
ships,  and  passing  them,  again  took  up  his  position 
in  the  van.  Sir  Francis  Vere,  the  captain  of  the 
"  Rainbow,"  was  resolved,  if  possible,  to  keep  to 
the  front,  as  well  as  Ralegh  ;  so  when  he  saw  the 
"Water  Sprite"  pass  him,  he  slyly  caused  a  rope 
to  be  fastened  to  her  side  connecting  with  the 
"  Rainbow,"  so  as  to  keep  the  latter  abreast  of 
Ralegh's  ship.  "  But,"  writes  Ralegh,  "  some  of 
my  company  advising  me  thereof,  I  caused  the 
rope  to  be  cast  off,  and  so  Vere  fell  back  into  his 
place.  I  guarded  him,  all  but  his  very  prow,  from 
the  sight  of  the  enemy.  I  was  very  sure  that 
none  would  outstart  me  again  for  that  day." 

Ralegh    now  advanced    in    order   to    board    the 


Ralegh  ukgikg  and  encoukaging  his  Men.     Page  150. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  1 53 

^'  Saint  Philip ;  "  for  fortune  had  gone  against  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  big  galleons  lay  apparently 
helpless  in  the  face  of  their  valiant  enemy,  while 
the  guns  of  the  fort  appeared  to  be  silenced.  The 
English  commander  had,  indeed,  almost  clutched 
his  splendid  prize,  when  it  escaped  him.  The 
Spaniards,  finding  that  the  "Saint  Philip"  and 
other  galleons  would  certainly  be  captured,  made 
haste  to  let  slip,  and  to  run  the  huge  vessel  and 
several  of  her  sister  ships  aground  on  the  strand. 
Then  the  order  was  hurriedly  given  to  blow  them 
up.  The  Spaniards  preferred  destroying  their 
noble  vessels  to  having  them  fall  into  EngHsh 
hands.  Ralegh  saw  the  Spanish  sailors  and  sol- 
diers "  tumbling  out  of  the  ships  into  the  sea,  in 
heaps,  as  thick  as  if  coals  had  been  poured  out  of 
a  sack  into  many  pots  at  once."  Then  he  heard 
the  deafening  roar  of  the  explosions,  and  the  air 
was  straightway  filled  with  flying  spars  and  sails, 
and  shivered  portions  of  the  doomed  galleons. 
The  water  in  their  vicinity  was  now  alive  with  the 
struggling  swarms  of  Spaniards,  desperately  trying 
to  save  themselves. 

''The  spectacle,"  says  Ralegh,  "was  very  lamen- 
table, for  many  drowned  themselves  ;  many,  half 


154  RALEGH: 

burned,  leaped  into  the  water ;  very  many  hung 
by  the  ropes'  ends,  by  the  ships'  sides,  under  the 
water,  even  to  the  lips  ;  many  swimming,  with 
grievous  wounds,  struck  under  water,  and  were  put 
out  of  their  pain  ;  and,  withal,  so  huge  a  fire  and 
such  tearing  of  the  guns  in  the  great '  Saint  Philip ' 
and  the  rest,  when  the  fire  came  to  them,  as,  if  any 
man  had  a  desire  to  see  hell  itself,  it  was  there 
most  lively  figured." 

Victory  now  perched  on  the  banners  of  the  Eng- 
lish ;  and  of  all  the  gallant  warriors  of  that  day, 
Ralegh  had  been  the  most  persistent,  daring,  and 
heroic.  It  only  remained  to  gather  the  fruits  of 
the  triumph.  Ralegh  was  quick  to  perceive  that 
the  "  Saint  Andrew,"  the  largest  of  the  galleons 
except  the  ''  Saint  Philip,"  still  remained  afloat, 
and  hastened  to  board  and  capture  her,  which  he 
did  without  difficulty.  Another  Spanish  ship,  the 
**  Saint  Matthew,"  in  like  manner  fell  into  his 
hands.  These  two  were  the  only  vessels,  of  all 
the  Spanish  fleet  which  had  so  proudly  ridden  in 
Cadiz  harbor  the  night  before,  which  had  escaped 
the  flames.  In  the  moment  of  triumph,  the 
victors  were  merciful.  The  English  commanders 
gave  orders  that  all  lives  should  be  spared.     These 


HIS    EXPLOITS   AND    VOYAGES.  I  55 

orders  were  rigidly  obeyed  by  the  English  soldiers  ; 
but  the  Dutch,  whose  hatred  of  the  Spaniards  was 
bitter  and  savage,  cruelly  slaughtered  many  of 
their  hapless  prisoners. 

In  the  later  part  of  the  battle,  Ralegh  himself 
had  been  severely  wounded  in  the  leg.  But  he 
had  refused  to  leave  the  scene  of  action,  or  to  give 
up  the  command  of  his  ship.  He  was  resolved 
that,  in  spite  of  his  wound,  he  would  go  on  shore 
with  the  troops,  and  witness  the  taking  of  the 
town  of  Cadiz.  As  he  could  not  ride  on  horse- 
back, a  litter  was  prepared  for  him,  and  upon  this 
he  was  lowered  into  one  of  the  boats,  rowed 
ashore,  and  taken,  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  his 
faithful  soldiers,  to  a  point  whence  he  could  observe 
the  brief  but  furious  struggle  which  resulted  in  a 
second  victory  for  the  English.  Cadiz  was  cap- 
tured and  plundered,  and  although  the  lives  of  the 
people  were  spared,  the  castle,  fortifications,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  town  itself,  were  burned  or 
torn  down.  To  this  day,  the  marks  of  this  mem- 
orable battle  may  be  seen  at  Cadiz. 

There  was  nothing  left  to  do  but  to  collect  the 
spoils,  to  put  the  Spanish  prisoners  on  board  the 
fleet,  and  to  set  sail  atrain  for  EnMand.     When  the 


156  RALEGH: 

fleet  made  its  appearance  again  at  Plymouth,  it  was 
received    by  the  people  with  the  wildest  joy  and 
enthusiasm.     The  news  of  the  glorious  victory  had 
already  arrived,  and  all  England  was  ringing  with 
praises    of  the   valor    and    victory    of    its    heroes. 
Spain   had   now,  thanks   to  Ralegh   and   his  com- 
rades, been  stripped  forever  of  her  ability  to  injure 
her  English  rival ;  England's  power  was  supreme 
on  the  sea.     Strangely  enough,  at  the  royal  court 
alone  the  news  was    heard  without   joy,   and    the 
visitors  were  received  without  a  cordial  welcome. 
The  avaricious  old  queen  was  angry  because  her 
share  of  the  spoils  taken  from  the  Spaniards  was 
not  so  great  as   she  had   fondly   hoped;  and  her 
courtiers  were  jealous  of  the  warlike  renown  which 
Ralegh   and   Essex   had   so  bravely  won.     Ralegh 
was  greeted  as  coldly  as  he  had  been  before  his 
departure  with  the  fleet.     He  had  long  been  de- 
prived   of  his    office    as    captain    of   the    Queen's 
Guard ;  and  even  his  bravery  at  Cadiz  did  not  at 
once  win  it  back  for  him.     Nor  did  he  receive  any 
share  of  the  rich  spoils  w^iich  had  been  secured  by 
his  exertions  and  those  of  his  comrades.     "What 
the  generals    have  got,"  he  said,  "  I   know   least. 
For   my  own    part,  I    have   got    a   lame   leg,  and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 5/ 

deformed.  I  have  not  wanted  good  words,  and 
exceeding  kind  and  regardful  usage  ;  but  I  have 
possession   of  nought   but   poverty   and   pain." 

Not  long  after,  however,  the  old  queen  was  per- 
suaded by  Sir  Robert  Cecil  to  invite  Ralegh  to 
come  once  more  to  court  ;  and  so  he  and  his  wife, 
whom  the  queen  had  now  forgiven,  reappeared  in 
the  brilliant  throng  which  gathered  daily  in  the 
halls  and  corridors  of  the  royal  palace.  Finally 
Elizabeth  restored  Ralegh  to  his  old  office  of  cap- 
tain of  the  guard  ;  and  the  next  day  he  rode  forth, 
in  all  the  splendor  of  his  uniform,  at  the  queen's 
side.  The  Earl  of  Essex  had  ceased,  for  the 
while,  to  be  jealous  of  his  former  rival,  and  the 
old  days  of  power  and  prosperity  seemed  to  have 
returned  to  the  brave  warrior  and  voyager. 

But  the  ambition  of  Ralegh,  Essex,  and  other 
cavaliers,  who  had  been  so  elated  by  their  triumph 
at  Cadiz,  did  not  allow  them  to  rest  long  idle  amid 
the  pleasures  and  indolence  of  court  life.  A  year 
had  not  passed  before  they  became  restless  to 
make  new  ventures  for  glory  and  spoils,  and  to 
attack  once  more  England's  mortal  enemy,  Spain. 
It  was  rumored  that  King  Philip  had  not  even  yet 
given  up  his  intention  to  avenge  his  many  defeats, 


158  RALEGH: 

and  that  he  was  preparing  still  another  fleet  with 
which  to  invade  Ireland. 

Queen  Elizabeth  was  anxious  for  peace  and  rest, 
but  she  was  so  much  attached  to  Essex  that  he  at 
last  persuaded  her  to  consent  to  a  resumption  of 
the  war  on  the  ocean.  Essex  lost  no  time  in  put- 
ting his  design  into  execution.  He  at  once  fitted 
out  a  new  fleet,  of  which  he  himself  assumed  the 
chief  command.  This  fleet  was  divided  into  two 
squadrons  ;  over  one  Ralegh  was  placed,  and  over 
the  other,  Lord  Thomas  Howard.  The  sailing  of 
the  expedition  was  postponed  for  several  weeks, 
owing  to  the  tempests  which  prevailed.  It  finally 
set  out  early  in  July,  1597;  but  the  storms  still 
raged,  and  scarcely  had  the  fleet  got  well  out  to 
sea  before  it  encountered  furious  gales. 

"The  storm  so  increased,"  wrote  Ralegh  after- 
wards, "  and  the  billows  were  so  raised  and  en- 
raged, that  we  could  carry  no  sail.  On  Saturday 
night  we  made  account  to  have  yielded  ourselves 
up  to  God."  They  were  at  last  forced  to  put  back 
to  Plymouth,  and  there  the  ships  lay  idle  a  month. 
They  then  started  forth  afresh,  only  to  be  tossed 
about  and  separated  by  new  tempests  ;  but  the 
brave   commanders   were    resolved   to    risk    every 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 59 

peril  to  achieve  their  purpose.  After  the  squad- 
rons had  lost  sight  of  each  other,  and  had  long 
wandered  the  stormy  seas  in  search  of  each  other, 
they  at  last  came  together  off  the  Azores,  much  to 
the  delight  of  all  on  board.  Ralegh  and  Essex 
fondly  embraced,  hastily  recounted  the  adven- 
tures and  perils  each  had  had  since  parting,  and 
then  took  counsel  as  to  what  course  they  should 
now  pursue. 

It  was  suspected  that  a  Spanish  merchant  fleet 
from  the  East  Indies  would  soon  pass  the  Azores 
on  its  way  to  Spain  ;  and  Essex  resolved  to  await 
it,  and  if  possible  to  capture  it.  Meanwhile  he 
would  take  some  of  the  Azores  islands,  so  that  the 
Spanish  ships  might  not  find  refuge  in  their  har- 
bors. Accordingly  he  despatched  Ralegh  with  his 
squadron  to  Fayal.  Ralegh  soon  arrived  in  sight 
of  the  town.  He  gazed  on  it  with  surprise  and 
admiration,  for  it  was  a  handsome  town,  nestled 
picturesquely  on  the  shore,  and  rising  upon  the 
hills  behind.  As  the  English  ships  approached,  a 
great  commotion  was  observed  in  the  town.  The 
'streets  soon  filled  with  people,  and  Ralegh  saw 
them  pouring  out  upon  the  hills,  and  hastening 
with   all    their    might    into    the   country    beyond. 


l6o  RALEGFI  : 

Ralegh  cast  anchor  just  outside  the  harbor,  for  he 
expected  the  other  squairon  to  join  him  there,  and 
aid  him  in  the  attack.  Above  the  town  loomed  2 
formidable  citadel,  which  seemed  ready  to  defend 
the  town  to  the  last. 

After  waiting  for  the  other  ships  for  three  days, 
Ralegh's  men  became  very  eager  to  attack  the 
town  without  them.  They  were  suffering  for  want 
of  fresh  water,  and  the  sight  of  the  fair  and  pros- 
perous town,  with  its  air  of  comfort  and  luxury, 
roused  their  cupidity  and  impatience  to  the  highest 
point.  Ralegh  was  unwilling  to  make  the  attack 
before  Essex  arrived  ;  but  at  last,  giving  up  the 
hope  that  he  would  soon  come,  he  satisfied  his  men 
by  declaring  that  the  town  should  be  assailed  the 
next  day. 

The  sun  had  not  risen  next  morning,  when  the 
boats  were  lowered  from  the  ships,  and  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  men  had  rapidly  and  quietly  taken 
their  places  in  them.  In  the  foremost  boat  was 
Ralegh  himself;  for,  whenever  he  commanded  an 
attack,  he  always  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
soldiers,  and  shared  the  struggles  and  dangers  of 
battle  with  them.  The  boats  were  swiftly  rowed 
towards    the   shore.      But   before   they  could  ap- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  l6l 

proach  it,  their  movements  had  been  discovered  ; 
and  when  they  came  near,  they  were  overwhelmed 
with  a  tremendous  volley  from  the  frowning  cit- 
adel. The  men  quailed  beneath  this  attack  ;  one 
or  two  of  the  boats  capsized  ;  and  for  a  moment  it 
seemed  as  if  destruction  awaited  all  of  the  rash 
assailants.  In  vain  did  Ralegh  shout  to  his  men, 
urging  them  to  push  forward  ;  several  of  the  boats 
turned  back,  as  if  to  fly  in  panic.  Then  Ralegh, 
to  rally  them,  did  a  daring  and  desperate  thing. 
He  ordered  his  own  oarsmen  to  run  his  boat 
straight  among  the  rocks  which  lay  in  craggy 
masses  along  the  shore,  and  cried  out  to  the  others 
to  follow.  The  men,  seeing  their  beloved  com- 
mander in  a  position  of  such  extreme  danger,  and 
his  boat  alone  exposed  to  the  storm  of  shot  from 
the  citadel,  swung  their  boats  around,  and  hastened 
to  rejoin  him.  The  boats  soon  came  close  together 
again,  and  made  a  bold  push  for  the  shore.  Under 
the  continuous  fire  of  the  citadel,  they  at  last 
secured  a  landing.  Ralegh  marshalled  his  men  on 
the  shore,  and  was  now  rejoiced  to  see  more  boats 
coming  ashore,  bringing  some  Dutch  troops  who 
had  come  with  him  in  his  squadron.  These, 
too,    landed    in    safety;    and    now    Ralegh    found 


I 62  RALEGH: 

himself  at  the  head  of  a  little  army  of  six   hun- 
dred  men. 

He  at  once  gave  the  order  to  advance,  and  him- 
self marched  forward  at  the  head  of  his  troops. 
Still  the  guns  of  the  citadel  rained  a  perfect  tem- 
pest of  shot  upon  them.  Again  and  again  the 
little  band  wavered  beneath  this  continual  assault. 
Once  the  men  broke  ranks  in  their  distress  and 
fright ;  and  now  again  Ralegh  showed  them  a  val- 
iant example.  Taking  with  him  a  few  picked  men, 
he  went  forward  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill  on  which 
the  greater  part  of  the  town  was  built.  He  thus 
became  a  mark  for  the  shot  of  the  enemy,  which 
poured  remorselessly  upon  him.  Pretty  soon  Sir 
Arthur  Gorges  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  and  fell  at 
Ralegh's  side.  Then  the  gallant  leader  himself 
was  struck,  and  received  several  shots  in  his  arm. 
This  spectacle  aroused  the  courage  of  the  men, 
who  rushed  forward,  and  sturdily  followed  Ralegh 
up  the  hill.  On  entering  the  town,  Ralegh  was 
surprised  to  find  that  his  approach  was  no  longer 
resisted.  The  people  had  fled  ;  the  soldiers  in  the 
citadel  abandoned  their  guns  ;  and  the  English 
and  Dutch  occupied  the  town,  and  quartered  them- 
selves in  the  deserted  houses  and  gardens.     There 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  163 

they  found  provisions,  fruits,  and  water  in  plenty, 
and  spent  the  night  in  great  ease  and  comfort. 

The  next  morning  at  sunrise,  the  squadron  of 
the  Earl  of  Essex  appeared  in  the  harbor.  The 
Earl  speedily  landed,  and  as  soon  as  he  met  Ralegh 
began  to  reproach  him  in  angry  tones  for  attacking 
the  town  before  his  arrival.  Essex  was  jealous  of 
the  glory  which  Ralegh  would  reap  from  this  heroic 
exploit.  At  first  it  seemed  as  if  a  bitter  quarrel 
would  ensue  between  the  two  commanders.  But 
Ralegh  earnestly  defended  himself,  and  persuaded 
Essex  that  his  action  had  not  been  worthy  of 
blame. 

Essex  had  now  given  up  all  hope  of  capturing 
the  Spanish  ships  from  the  East  Indies  ;  so,  after 
burning  the  town  of  Fayal,  he  gave  the  order  to  the 
fleet  to  return  towards  England.  The  voyage  back 
was  prosperous  ;  and  while  the  ships  were  home- 
ward bound,  Ralegh  took  several  Spanish  galleons, 
and  carried  them  along  with  him.  Ralegh  had 
thus,  from  first  to  last,  been  the  real  hero  of  the 
expedition.  When  the  commanders  reached  Lon- 
don, and  the  old  queen  heard  the  story  of  their 
adventures,  she  bestowed  all  her  smiles  on  Ralegh, 
and,  to  the  surprise  of  all,  bitterly   upbraided  her 


64 


RALEGH : 


old  lover,  Essex,  for  not  capturing  the  East  Indian 
fleet.  Essex  was  angry  and  disappointed  at  this, 
and  abruptly  retired  from  court,  leaving  Ralegh 
once  more  in  the  sole  enjoyment  of  the  queen's 
favor. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 65 


mi 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE    ESSEX    CONSPIRACY. 

[UEEN  ELIZABETH  was  now  fast  ap- 
proaching her  seventieth  year,  and  the 
end  of  her  long  reign.  For  fifty  years 
she  had  swayed  the  destinies  of  England.  That 
period  had  been  full  of  brilliant  exploits,  of  noble 
literary  triumphs,  and  of  stirring  events.  No  court 
in  Europe  had  shone  so  brilliantly  with  genius, 
bravery,  beauty,  the  splendor  of  dress  and  the 
elegance  of  manners.  Her  reign  had  been  illu- 
mined by  a  race  of  illustrious  navigators  and  war- 
riors, like  Drake,  Frobisher,  Hawkins,  and  Lord 
Howard  of  Effingham;  by  a  glorious  band  of 
poets,  like  Shakspere,  Ben  Jonson,  Spenser,  and 
Marlowe  ;  by  the  greatest  of  English  philosophers, 
Francis  Bacon  ;  by  courtiers  and  cavaliers  of  the 
renown  of  Leicester,  Essex,  Hatton,  and  Sir  Philip 
Sidney  ;  and  by  statesmen  of  the  rank  of  Lord 
Burleigh,  Walsingham,  Buckhurst,  and  Sir  Robert 


1 66  RALEGH  : 

Cecil.  In  each  of  these  various  fields  of  fame,  Sir 
Walter  Ralegh  had  proved  himself  worthy  of  a 
place.  He  had  been  a  navigator  with  Drake,  a 
soldier  with  Howard,  a  poet  with  Shakspere  and 
Spenser,  a  philosopher  with  Bacon,  a  courtier  with 
Sidney,  a  statesman  with  Burleigh  and  Cecil.  In 
the  later  years  of  Elizabeth's  reign  he  was  the 
most  conspicuous  and  the  most  universally  re- 
nowned of  Englishmen.  He  had  still  many  years 
to  live,  and  many  adventures  and  vicissitudes  to 
meet.  But  already,  at  the  age  of  nearly  fifty,  he 
had  accomplished  enough  to  establish  his  renown 
to  all  time. 

The  queen,  even  in  her  old  age,  had  the  weak- 
ness to  try  to  seem  young,  and  to  assume  the  light, 
frivolous  airs  of  a  court  belle.  She  was  exces- 
sively vain  of  her  personal  appearance,  and  used 
every  artifice  to  conceal  her  baldness  and  her 
wrinkles,  and  to  present  to  her  court  a  youthful 
and  coquettish  aspect.  At  this  time,  she  painted  her 
face  and  neck,  and  wore  a  red  wig.  She  appeared 
in  low-necked  dresses,  and  in  her  attire  and  orna- 
ments was  as  showy  and  splendid  as  she  had  been 
forty  years  before.  Large  pearls  shone  in  her 
ears  ;  a  glittering  necklace   clasped   her  wrinkled 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  167 

throat ;  a  gown  of  white  silk,  sown  with  pearls, 
enveloped  her  long,  gaunt  figure  ;  and  a  black  silk 
mantle,  trimmed  with  silver  lace,  flowed  from  her 
bony  shoulders  to  the  ground. 

Her  last  years  were  troubled  by  many  perplexi- 
ties and  sorrows.  Old  as  she  was,  she  clung  to 
the  handsome  and  impulsive  Earl  of  Essex  with  a 
fond  and  jealous  affection.  The  Earl,  however, 
could  not  always  hide  the  disgust  and  annoyance 
to  which  her  maudlin  sentiment  subjected  him. 
He  had  returned  from  his  expedition  to  the  Azores 
with  a  heart  full  of  bitterness  ;  and  soon  after,  his 
anger  was  still  further  aroused  by  the  promotion 
of  his  enemy,  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham,  to  the 
rank  of  an  Earl.  Essex  often  became  very  violent 
in  the  councils  of  state,  over  which  the  queen  pre- 
sided ;  and  on  one  occasion  treated  the  queen  with 
such  open  disrespect  that  he  was  dismissed  in 
deep  disgrace.  He  had  been  urging  her  to  make 
a  certain  appointment.  She  became  petulant,  and 
would  not  listen  to  him.  He  was  so  angry  at  this 
that  he  turned  his  back  upon  her.  Elizabeth 
turned  fiercely  on  her  favorite,  and  gave  him  a 
sharp  box  on  the  ear  ;  at  the  same  time  pointing 
to  the  door,  and  screeching  out,  in  a  shrill  voice, 


l68  RALEGH  : 

"  Go,  sir,  and  be  hanged."  Essex  started  up,  and 
grasped  his  sword,  and  ior  a  moment  the  aston- 
ished courtiers  thought  he  would  actually  draw  it 
upon  his  sovereign.  It  was  long  before  the  queen 
forgot  or  forgave  this  arrogant  insult. 

For  a  short  while  after  Essex  and  Ralegh  had 
returned  from  the  Azores,  they  had  kept  up  an 
appearance  of  friendship.  Essex  had  visited  Ra- 
legh in  his  house  on  the  Strand,  and  had  declared 
him  to  be  the  most  delightful  companion  he  had 
ever  met.  Ralegh  had  taken  care  to  treat  Essex 
with  the  greatest  respect.  But  the  old  quarrel 
between  them  soon  broke  out  afresh,  and  was  des- 
tined to  continue  to  the  day  of  Essex's  unhappy 
end.  Ralegh  became  closely  allied  with  Sir  Rob- 
ert Cecil,  whose  wise  old  father,  Lord  Burleigh, 
had  recently  died ;  and  together  they  seemed  to 
have  resolved  upon  the  ruin  of  Essex. 

Unhappily  the  queen's  impulsive  favorite  laid 
himself  open  again  and  again  to  the  assaults  of  his 
enemies.  Essex  was  sent  to  Ireland  to  quell  the 
rebellion  aroused  by  the  valiant  Irish  chieftain, 
Hugh  O'Neil.  There  he  so  conducted  himself  as 
to  bring  down  upon  him  once  more  Elizabeth's 
wrath.     She   exclaimed,    "  I   am   no  queen.     That 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  169 

man  sets  himself  above  me."  Essex  was  even 
arrested,  several  profitable  offices  were  taken  from 
him,  and  he  perceived  that  Ralegh  had  become  one 
of  his  most  active  enemies. 

It  was  while  these  quarrels  were  at  their  bitter- 
est, that,  on  the  occasion  of  the  queen's  birthday, 
a  great  tournament  was  held  in  her  presence  in 
the  tilt-yard  at  Westminster.  The  court  gathered 
in  all  its  fine  array  of  silks,  feathers,  and  jewels,  to 
witness  the  contest.  Of  all  the  knights  who  ap- 
peared in  the  arena,  Ralegh  was  the  most  noticed 
for  the  splendor  of  his  armor  and  ornaments.  The 
very  shoes  upon  his  feet  were  so  lavishly  decorated 
with  jewels,  that  they  were  said  to  have  cost  six 
thousand  pounds.  His  sword  and  belt  fairly  glit- 
tered with  large  gems.  Chains  of  gold  fell  from 
his  neck  on  the  highly-burnished  breastplate.  On 
one  arm  he  wore  conspicuously  a  long  ribbon, 
which  the  queen  had  coquettishly  given  him  as  a 
reward  of  his  devotion. 

When  Essex,  also  gayly  accoutred,  entered  the 
tilt-yard,  and  saw  his  enemy  so  much  more  gor- 
geously arrayed  than  himself,  he  became  very 
jealous,  and  resolved  that,  at  the  next  tournament, 
he  would  not  only  outdo  Ralegh  in  magnificence 


1^0  RALEGH  : 

of  dress,  but  that  he  would  try  to  kill  him  in  the 
contest. 

It  was  not  long  before  another  tournament  was 
held.  Essex  learned  that  Ralegh  intended  to  ap- 
pear in  it  with  still  greater  splendor  than  before, 
accompanied  by  a  company  of  young  nobles,  all  of 
whom  were  to  wear  orange-colored  feathers  in 
their  caps.  So  he  made  haste  to  assemble  a  much 
larger  company  of  his  friends,  and  caused  them  to 
wear  feathers  exactly  like  those  of  Ralegh's  party. 
Essex  dressed  himself  in  a  complete  suit  of  orange, 
and  entered  the  tilt-yard  at  the  head  of  his  adhe- 
rents. They  soon  mingled  and  became  confused 
with  Ralegh's  train,  and  the  whole  company  of 
knights  were  thus  supposed  to  be  commanded  by 
Essex.  This  plan  of  mixing  up  the  two  companies 
succeeded  in  spoiling  the  sport  of  the  day,  and 
snatched  from  Ralegh  the  triumph  of  appearing  in 
the  greater  splendor. 

The  fiery  and  ambitious  spirit  of  Essex  could 
not  rest  contented  beneath  the  slights  of  the 
queen,  and  the  favor  with  which  his  enemies, 
Ralegh  and  Cecil,  were  in  these  days  received  at 
court.  Despairing  of  regaining  his  influence  over 
Elizabeth,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  enter  into  a 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I/I 

desperate  plot  to  seize  on  power  by  force.  He 
had  still  many  brave  and  powerful  friends,  who 
were  devoted  to  his  fortunes,  and  who  would  o-o  to 
any  length  to  serve  him.  There  were  nobles  and 
courtiers,  too,  who  had  been  ill-treated  by  the 
queen  and  her  advisers,  and  who  were  ripe  for  a 
conspiracy.  He  called  together  a  small  number 
of  these  at  his  house  in  London,  and  locking  and 
barring  his  doors,  and  sitting  in  their  midst  in  the 
dead  of  night,  he  unfolded  his  plot  to  them. 

He  proposed  no  less  treasonable  a  design  than 
to  seize  Queen  Elizabeth  herself,  to  hold  her  a 
prisoner,  and  to  exercise  the  royal  power  in  her 
name.  He  declared  that  the  common  people  of 
London  were  bound  to  him  by  ties  of  affection, 
and  would  help  to  crown  the  plot  with  success.  It 
needed  but  a  small  band  of  brave,  devoted  cav- 
aliers, he  said,  to  invade  the  palace,  take  possession 
of  the  queen,  throw  Ralegh  and  Cecil  into  the 
Tower,  and  assume  the  reins  of  government.  The 
cavaliers  eagerly  assented  to  the  plot,  and  on 
parting,  agreed  to  meet  on  the  next  night.  Mean- 
while Essex  took  means  to  protect  the  conspiracy 
from  discovery.  He  caused  his  house  to  be  care- 
fully guarded,  and  remained  within  doors,  lest  he 


1/2  RALEGH : 

should  be  arrested.  Among  his  fellow-conspirators 
were  some  of  the  most  celebrated  courtiers  and 
soldiers  of  the  day.  Sir  Ferdinand  Gorges,  Sir 
Christopher  Blount,  the  Earl  of  Southampton  (a 
friend  and  patron  of  Shakspere),  and  the  Earl  of 
Rutland,  were  among  the  number. 

At  last  the  day  on  which  the  plot  was  to  be 
carried  out  was  fixed  ;  it  was  Sunday,  the  8th  of 
February,  1601.  The  evening  before,  Essex  sum- 
moned all  his  adherents  to  assemble  at  his  house ; 
and  they  came  stealthily  and  quietly,  until  the 
house  and  court-yard  were  full  of  conspirators,  armed 
to  the  teeth.  Ralegh  had  now  heard  a  report  that 
Essex  intended  to  head  a  rising ;  and  on  Sunday 
morning,  he  sent  a  message  to  Sir  Ferdinand  Gor- 
ges, at  Essex's  house,  asking  him  to  come  at  once 
to  his  own  house  in  the  Strand.  Sir  Ferdinand 
was  an  old  friend  and  comrade  of  Ralegh's,  and 
the  latter  was  anxious  to  detach  him  from  the  con- 
spiracy. The  conspirator  replied  that  he  would 
meet  Ralegh,  not  at  his  house,  but  in  a  boat  on  the 
Thames.  Ralegh  accordingly  set  out  in  a  boat 
from  the  bottom  of  his  garden,  which  bordered  on 
the  river.  He  was  quite  alone.  Presently  the  boat 
containing  Gorges,  attended  by  two  cavaliers,  drew 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 73 

near.  The  interview  between  the  two  old  friends 
was  short  and  sharp. 

"  I  implore  you,"  said  Ralegh,  "  to  leave  Essex, 
and  hasten  out  of  town,  or  you  will  be  arrested 
and  thrown  into  the  prison  of  the  Fleet." 

"  It  is  too  late,"  replied  Gorges.  "  You  will 
soon  know  why.  I  have  pledged  myself,  and  can- 
not withdraw." 

"What  are  you  pledged  to  do?"  asked  Ralegh, 
anxiously. 

"  There  are  two  thousand  cavaliers,"  retorted 
Gorges,  "  who  are  resolved  to  die  this  very  day,  or 
to  live  as  free  men." 

Ralegh  parted  from  his  old  friend  with  a  sigh, 
and  hastened  back  to  take  his  part  in  defending 
the  queen  from  the  attack  which  was  about  to  be 
made  upon  her.  He  had  not  gone  far  in  his  boat, 
however,  when  several  shots  whizzed  by  him. 
Turning  around,  Ralegh  perceived  another  boat  at 
a  little  distance  away,  which  was  occupied  by  sev- 
eral cavaliers.  One,  whom  he  recognized  as  Sir 
Christopher  Blount,  an  adherent  of  Essex,  was 
standing  up  in  the  bow,  and  aiming  his  gun  at 
Ralegh.  The  latter  hastened  away,  barely  escap- 
ing  the    shots    of  his    enemy.     It   appeared    that 


1/4  RALEGH: 

when  Blount  heard  that  Ralegh  was  going  to  meet 
Gorges  on  the  river,  he  resolved  to  kill  him,  and  it 
ivas  only  by  a  narrow  chance  that  his  murderous 
purpose  was  foiled. 

While  these  events  were  going  on,  the  conspira- 
tors at  Essex's  house  had  gathered  in  the  court- 
yard, and  were  getting  ready  to  issue  forth  on 
their  rash  venture.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  set 
out,  four  of  the  queen's  councillors  made  their 
appearance  at  the  gate,  and  demanded  admittance. 
No  sooner  had  they  entered,  and  inquired  the 
cause  of  the  gathering,  than  Essex  ordered  them 
to  be  arrested  and  kept  as  prisoners  in  his  house. 
Then,  putting  himself  at  the  head  of  his  com- 
pany, he  rode  boldly  out  into  the  London  streets, 
shouting  to  the  people,  "  For  the  queen  !  My  life 
is  in  danger  !  " 

But  the  citizens,  upon  whose  devotion  to  him 
Essex  had  relied,  only  stared  at  him  and  his  caval- 
cade with  astonished  and  curious  eyes.  They 
manifested  no  disposition  to  follow  him  and  aid 
him  in  his  design.  Their  indifference  dampened 
his  spirits  at  the  outset.  He  kept  on,  however, 
in  the  direction  of  the  "  city,"  still  shouting,  wav- 
ing his  sword,  and   followed    by  his   friends.     At 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 75 

the  same  moment,  Lord  Burleigh  had  entered  the 
"  city,"  and  proclaimed  Essex  a  traitor  ;  and  Lord 
Nottingham  —  as  Lord  Howard  of  Efifingham  was 
now  called  —  was  advancing  rapidly  upon  the 
conspirators  with  a  formidable  body  of  troops. 
Ralegh,  meanwhile,  was  posted,  at  the  head  of  the 
Royal  Guard,  in  the  palace,  so  as  to  protect  the 
person  of  the  queen. 

When  Essex  heard  of  Lord  Nottingham's  ap- 
proach, he  saw  that  his  plot  had  failed.  He  could 
not,  as  he  had  hoped,  seize  the  palace  and  the 
queen  by  surprise ;  nor  could  he  for  a  moment 
cope  with  Lord  Nottingham's  troops.  It  now 
only  remained  to  return  —  if  indeed  it  was  not  too 
late  to  return  —  to  his  house  again. 

With  trembling  voice,  he  gave  the  order  to  his 
followers  to  turn  their  horses'  heads.  They  soon 
came  to  one  of  the  gates  of  St.  Paul's  church, 
where  Essex  perceiv  id,  to  his  chagrin,  that  his 
way  was  barred  by  a  huge  chain  stretched  across 
the  street.  Here,  too,  was  stationed  a  troop  of  the 
queen's  soldiers,  armed  with  guns  and  pikes. 
These  set  upon  the  conspirators,  and  Essex  was 
soon  overwhelmed  with  grief  to  see  a  young  cav- 
alier, who  was  a  dear  friend  of  his,  fall  dead  by  his 


176  RALEGH: 

side.  His  own  hat  was  shot  from  his  head,  and 
several  of  the  cavaUers  were  hurled  from  their 
saddles. 

Essex  and  his  comrades  then  galloped  off 
towards  the  Thames,  which  they  reached  in  safety ; 
there  they  took  boats,  and  were  soon  landed  at. 
Essex's  house.  The  Earl,  finding  himself  com- 
pletely foiled,  made  haste  to  release  the  councillors 
whom  he  had  ordered  to  be  imprisoned,  in  the 
hope  that  he  might  thus  appease  the  queen's 
wrath  ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  and  his  friends  set 
to  work  fortifying  the  house  as  best  they  could. 
Then  Essex  burned  all  his  papers,  saying  that  at 
least  "  they  should  tell  no  tales." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  conspirators  found 
themselves  assailed  by  the  royal  troops.  Lord 
Nottingham,  with  his  force,  and  Ralegh,  with  the 
Royal  Guard,  surrounded  the  house  on  every  side, 
so  that  no  man  should  escaoe.  Essex  soon  per- 
ceived that  he  could  not  long  hold  out  against  his 
besiegers,  for  they  numbered  very  many  more  than 
his  adherents.  At  ten  o'clock  at  night,  he  surren- 
dered to  Lord  Nottingham.  It  was  a  stormy,  dreary 
night,  and  the  baffled  conspirators,  closely  guarded, 
were  taken  to  and  lodged  in  Lambeth  Palace. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 7/ 

The  next  day,  they  all  found  a  gloomy  abode  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  the  grim  jail  which  had  held 
so  many  royal  and  noble  prisoners. 

Eleven  days  after  their  arrest,  Essex  and  the 
Earl  of  Southampton  were  arraigned  before  the 
House  of  Lords  on  the  charge  of  high  treason. 
The  scene  was  a  memorable  one  ;  for  many  of  the 
most  famous  men  in  England  witnessed  the  trial 
of  him  who  had  been  so  long  the  queen's  beloved 
favorite,  and  who  had  won  the  affection  of  a  mul- 
titude of  friends  by  his  courage  and  generosity  of 
heart.  Among  his  accusers  was  Francis  Bacon, 
whom  Essex  had  loaded  with  favors,  and  who  was 
indebted  to  Essex  for  his  rapid  rise  at  the  bar  ; 
and  this  ingratitude  seemed  to  affect  Essex  more 
than  the  prospect  of  his  conviction  and  execution. 
Ralegh  appeared  at  the  trial  as  captain  of  the 
Guard,  and  gave  witness  of  his  interview  with  Gor- 
ges. Otherwise  he  did  not  take  an  active  part  in 
the  trial  of  Essex,  who  had  become  his  bitter  enemy. 

Essex  was  found  guilty,  and  was  condemned  by 
the  Lords  to  be  beheaded.  It  was  only  with  a 
cruel  pang  that  the  old  queen  could  bring  herself 
to  sign  the  death-warrant  of  one  who  had  long 
been  so  dear  to  her ;    and   she   never   recovered 


I/S  RALEGH  : 

from  the  shock  of  this  act  for  the  rest  of  her  Hfe. 
Six  days  after  his  arraignment,  the  Earl  of  Essex 
was  brought  out  of  the  Tower,  and  executed  in  the 
presence  of  an  immense  multitude.  He  was,  after 
all,  greatly  loved  by  the  people,  and  as  the  fatal 
axe  fell,  a  great  groan  rose  from  the  crowd. 

Of  the  other  leading  conspirators,  Southampton 
alone  was  spared.  He  was  condemned  to  impris- 
onment in  the  Tower.  Sir  Christopher  Blount 
and  two  other  cavaliers  were  beheaded  a  few  days 
after  the  death  of  Essex. 

Ralegh,  at  the  head  of  the  Guards,  stood  near 
the  scaffold  on  this  occasion.  Blount  had  once 
been  his  warm  friend,  and  had  then  turned  against 
him  with  intense  hostility.  When  Blount  mounted 
the  scaffold,  he  looked  around  and  asked,  "  Is  Sir 
Walter  Ralegh  here  ? " 

Ralegh  stepped  forward,  and  confronted  the 
doomed  knight. 

"  Sir  Walter,"  said  Blount,  in  an  agitated  voice, 
"  I  thank  God  you  are  present.  I  had  an  infinite 
desire  to  speak  with  you ;  to  ask  your  forgiveness 
ere  I  died.  Both  for  the  wrong  done  you,  and  my 
particular  ill  intent  towards  you,  I  beseech  you 
forgive  me." 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I /Q 

Ralegh  warmly  grasped  his  hand,  and  replied, — 

"  I  most  willingly  forgive  you,  and  I  beseech 
God  to  forgive  you,  and  to  give  you  his  divine 
comfort."  He  then  turned  to  the  multitude,  and 
added,  in  tones  of  emotion,  "  I  protest  before 
God  that  whatever  Sir  Christopher  Blount  meant 
towards  me,  I  for  my  part  never  bore  him  any  ill 
intent." 

He  then  embraced  his  unhappy  enemy,  and  in 
another  moment  Blount  had  ceased  to  live. 

After  the  death  of  Essex  and  his  comrades, 
Ralegh  went  to  the  island  of  Jersey,  over  which 
he  had  some  time  before  been  appointed  governor. 
He  spent  several  weeks  in  fortifying  the  island,  and 
introduced  some  reforms  into  its  government. 
Then  he  returned  to  London.  He  had  been  a 
member  of  Parliament  for  some  years,  but  had 
hitherto  taken  only  an  occasional  part  in  its  pro- 
ceedings, having  been  very  busy  with  other  affairs. 
He  now  attended  the  sessions,  and  made  many 
speeches  on  public  questions,  taking,  in  all  of 
them,  the  side  of  the  liberties  of  the  people.  He 
acquired  a  high  reputation  as  an  orator,  and  soon 
won  a  position  of  marked  influence  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 


l8o  RALEGH  : 

Though  Essex  and  almost  all  his  old  enemies 
were  dead,  Ralegh  seems  never  to  have  fully  re- 
gained the  favor  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  He  went 
to  court,  but  the  queen  seldom  consulted  him  on 
affairs  of  state.  Sometimes  he  attended  her  in 
her  progresses,  but  never  as  a  favored  cavalier. 
Yet  the  queen  valued  his  services,  for  they  were 
vigilant  and  faithful.  When,  wearied  for  the  while 
of  public  life  and  the  turmoil  of  the  court,  Ralegh 
escaped  from  London,  and  went  down  to  his  beauti- 
ful retreat  at  Sherborne,  he  plunged  into  all  the 
pleasures  of  the  country  side  with  youthful  ardor, 
and  fairly  revelled  in  the  happiness  of  domestic 
life.  He  now  had  a  bright  young  son,  whom  he 
had  named  Walter,  and  who  was  rapidly  growing 
into  manhood.  With  this  lad  he  roamed  the  parks 
and  forests,  relating  his  adventures,  and  teaching 
the  boy  those  lessons  of  worldly  wisdom,  which  he 
himself  had  learned  from  a  stormy  and  checkered 
experience. 

Queen  Elizabeth  survived  her  old  lover,  Essex, 
just  two  years.  His  death  filled  her  with  grief, 
and  remorse  preyed  upon  her  for  signing  his  death- 
warrant.  From  that  unhappy  day  her  mind  and 
body  began  to  fail.     She  ceased  to  like  the  show 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  151 

and  splendor  of  former  days,  and  grew  more  and 
more  petulant  and  morose.  To  drive  away  her 
dismal  thoughts,  she  still  kept  up  her  old  custom 
of  going  to  the  hunt :  and  so  haughty  was  her 
spirit,  that  even  when  ill  she  would  refuse  to  go  to 
bed,  or  to  receive  the  ministrations  of  her  doctors. 

At  last  she  grew  too  feeble  to  sit  up,  or  walk 
about  the  room.  She  lay  all  day  on  some  cushions 
on  the  floor  of  her  bed-room,  fully  attired,  and  still 
insisted  on  performing  the  business  of  the  state. 
One  day,  however,  it  was  remarked  with  alarm 
that  her  tongue  refused  to  serve  her,  and  that  she 
could  not  move  her  limbs.  She  lay  for  some  time 
in  this  state ;  and  then,  with  a  soft  sigh,  breathed 
her  last. 

With  all  her  faults  and  weaknesses,  Elizabeth 
was  in  many  respects  a  great  and  wise  sovereign. 
She  ruled,  in  the  earlier  years  of  her  reign,  with 
an  iron  will,  and  a  clear,  strong  intellect.  She  so 
increased  the  power  of  England  that  she  left  it 
far  greater  than  she  had  found  it.  She  had  worn 
the  crown  for  half  a  century,  and  it  passed  with  a 
brighter  lustre  than  it  had  when  she  received  it,  to 
her  successor. 


152  RALEGH  : 


CHAPTER   XII. 

RALEGH    CHARGED    WITH    TREASON. 


HE  new  sovereign  of  England  was  the 
Scottish  King  James,  the  son  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots.  He  was  a  second 
cousin  of  the  dead  EHzabeth,  and  was  the  first 
monarch  of  the  house  of  Stuart.  About  thirty- 
seven  years  of  age  when  he  succeeded  to  the  Eng- 
lish throne,  and  thus  united  both  the  crowns  of 
the  British  isle,  James  was  a  well-read  man,  fond 
of  learning,  shrewd,  and  ambitious.  He  was  also 
cowardly  and  timid  and  narrow-minded.  In  mor- 
als his  life  was  unstained.  His  favorite  pastime 
was  the  peculiarly  British  sport  of  hunting.  In 
personal  appearance,  James  was  very  plain.  His 
movements  were  extremely  awkward ;  his  walk 
was  ungainly,  and  his  voice  thick  and  husky. 
When  he  first  arrived  in  England,  he  greatly 
amused  the  court  by  his  broad  Scotch  brogue. 
King    James    had    lofty    notions    of    the    royal 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 83 

powers,  and  was  always  jealous  of  his  Parliament. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  rarely  used  his  authority 
like  a  tyrant.  He  was  always  more  prone  to 
mercy  than  to  severity.  A  striking  instance  of 
this  will  be  seen  as  this  story  progresses. 

When  the  courtiers  learned  that  the  new  king 
was  on  his  way  from  Edinburgh  to  London,  they 
hastened,  with  brilliant  retinues,  to  meet  and  greet 
their  new  master  on  his  way.  As  he  advanced 
southward,  James  met  everywhere  with  a  hospita- 
ble welcome,  which  surprised  and  delighted  him  ; 
for  he  had  been  very  doubtful  how  the  English 
would  receive  him.  He  knew  that  there  were 
many  Englishmen  who  preferred  other  claimants 
to  the  throne  to  himself,  and  that  there  was  much 
dissatisfaction  that  he,  a  foreigner  and  a  stranger, 
should  assume  the  sceptre  of  Elizabeth. 

His  fears,  however,  were  soon  dispelled.  He 
was  entertained  each  night  at  some  lordly  castle 
or  capacious  manor-house,  and  flattered  and  feasted 
to  his  heart's  content.  Soon  the  most  distinguished 
statesmen  and  courtiers,  with  long  trains  of  liv- 
eried attendants,  began  to  flock  about  him.  Cecil, 
Elizabeth's  chief  councillor.  Lord  Nottingham,  the 
admiral,    Popham,    the    chief   justice,    and    many 


184  Ralegh: 

others,  ourneyed  far  to  assure  the  new  monarch 
of  their  allegiance  and  loyal  devotion. 

Ralegh  was  still  captain  of  the  Royal  Guard. 
In  this  capacity,  it  was  his  duty  to  go  and  meet  the 
king.  He  accordingly  set  out  with  his  retinue ; 
and  on  reaching  Burghley,  he  encountered  the 
royal  party  coming  southward.  Ralegh  lost  no 
time  in  making  his  obeisances,  with  the  rest,  to 
James.  As  soon,  however,  as  he  entered  the  royal 
presence,  he  was  surprised  and  chagrined  to  find 
that  the  king  heard  his  name  with  a  frown.  James 
greeted  him  haughtily,  and  said,  making  a  joke 
upon  his  name, — 

"By  my  soul,  man,  I  have  heard  but  rawly  of 
thee." 

Ralegh  did  not  remain  long  in  the  royal  com- 
pany. The  king  continued  to  treat  him  with 
coldness  and  disdain,  and  he  saw  that  he  could 
gain  nothing  by  staying.  He  soon  found  out  the 
cause  of  this  singular  treatment.  Years  before, 
his  enemy,  the  Earl  of  Essex,  in  writing  to  James, 
had  taken  care  to  fill  his  mind  with  the  most 
intense  prejudices  against  Ralegh  ;  another  enemy, 
Lord  Henry  Howard,  had  lately  still  further  biased 
James's  mind  against  him.     The  king  had  never 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 85 

forgotten  Essex's  bitter  accusations.  It  was  not 
long  before  Ralegh  received  yet  more  marked  evi- 
dences of  the  new  king's  dislike.  One  of  the  first 
of  James's  acts  was  to  deprive  him  of  the  cap- 
taincy of  the  Guard,  and  to  give  the  office  to  a 
Scottish  favorite.  Then  Ralegh  was  removed  from 
his  office  of  Governor  of  Jersey.  Then  his  fine 
house  in  London,  Durham  House,  was  taken  from 
him  and  presented  to  a  bishop. 

This  was,  however,  but  the  beginning  of  Ra- 
legh's misfortunes  and  miseries  at  the  hands  of 
King  James  and  his  government.  Not  many 
weeks  elapsed  before  he  found  himself  not  only 
stripped  of  all  his  posts,  and  of  a  large  portion  of 
his  property,  but  actually  put  in  peril  of  his  life. 

It  appears  that,  some  time  before  the  death  of 
Elizabeth,  various  plots  had  been  organized  in  op- 
position to  James's  accession,  and  in  favor  of  other 
claimants  to  the  throne.  Among  these  claimants, 
the  most  conspicuous  was  the  fair  Arabella  Stuart, 
whom,  as  we  have  seen,  Ralegh  had  met  and  ad- 
mired for  her  girlish  beauty  and  brightness  years 
before  at  Lord  Burleigh's  house.  Arabella  was  a 
great-granddaughter  of  Margaret  Tudor,  a  sister 
of    Henry   VIII.,   just   as    James    was    her   great 


I 86  RALEGH: 

grandson.  Besides,  Arabella  was  the  wife  of 
Wiliam  Seymour,  who  was  the  great  grandson  of 
Mary  Tudor,  another  sister  of  Henry  VIII.  Many 
of  the  English  desired  Arabella  to  succeed  Eliza- 
beth, because  she  was  a  native  English  woman, 
whereas  James,  as  a  Scotchman,  was  regarded  as  a 
foreigner. 

Even  after  James  peacefully  ascended  the  throne, 
plots  were  being  conceived  against  his  rule  and  his 
person.  One  of  these  plots  was  started  by  Wat- 
son, a  Catholic  priest,  who  was  enraged  because 
James  had  not  made  certain  concessions  to  the 
Catholics.  It  was  the  purpose  of  Watson  and  his 
confederates  to  seize  James  and  imprison  him,  and 
force  him  to  make  them  pledges  that  he  would 
give  the  Catholics  greater  liberties.  In  this  con- 
spiracy were  some  of  the  most  eminent  men  in 
England,  not  only  Catholics,  but  Protestants  also. 
The  chief  conspirators,  besides  Watson,  were 
George  Brooke,  a  brother  of  Lord  Cobham,  Sir 
Griffin  Markham,  and  a  gallant  and  generous- 
hearted  nobleman  of  ancient  lineage,  Lord  Grey 
de  Wilton. 

The  conspiracy  was  discovered  before  it  could 
ripen  into  action.     The  confederates  in  vain  fled 


HIS  EXPLOITS  AND  VOYAGES.        iS/ 

from  the  capital.  They  were  taken,  one  after  an- 
other, and  thrown  into  the  Tower  of  London.  On 
their  being  brought  to  trial,  which  was  very  soon 
after  their  arrest,  their  examination  brought  to 
light  still  another  and  yet  more  formidable  plot. 
This  was  no  less  than  to  dethrone  King  James, 
and  to  place  Arabella  Stuart  on  the  throne  in  his 
stead. 

The  chief  of  this  last  plot  was  found  to  be  Lord 
Cobham,  the  brother  of  George  Brooke,  one  of  the 
fellow-conspirators  of  Watson.  Cobham  was  a 
weak  and  vacillating  man,  of  uncertain  purpose 
and  duplicity  of  mind.  In  order  to  bring  his  plot 
to  a  successful  issue,  he  had  entered  into  some 
negotiations  with  Spain,  from  whose  king  he  hoped 
to  procure  a  large  sum  of  money  to  aid  his  pur- 
pose. Cobham  had  been  for  some  time  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  Ralegh,  and  it  was  this  fact  which 
involved  Ralegh  in  the  misfortunes  which  were 
speedily  to  ensue  upon  the  discovery  of  Cobham's 
plot. 

One  midsummer  morning,  Ralegh,  attired  in  his 
resplendent  court  dress,  was  leisurely  pacing  up 
and  down  the  broad  terrace  of  Windsor  Castle. 
Although  he  was   still  disliked  and  neglected    by 


I 88  RALEGH: 

King  James,  he  remained  at  the  royal  court,  and 
formed  one  of  the  throng  of  cavahers  who  sur- 
rounded the  royal  person.  He  was  now  waiting 
for  the  king  to  emerge  from  the  Castle.  James 
was  going  on  a  hunt  in  Windsor  Forest,  and 
Ralegh  intended  to  accompany  him.  As  he  walked 
up  and  down  the  terrace,  his  eyes  wandered  over 
the  beautiful,  luxuriant  landscape  before  him. 
The  hills,  forests,  and  avenues  were  clothed  in 
their  greenest  midsummer  glory.  Below,  the 
Thames  flowed  in  graceful  windings  beneath  the 
overhanging  trees.  The  towers  of  Eton  peeped 
above  the  groves  beyond.  The  great  forest  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Castle  stretched  out  before  him 
as  far  as  glance  could  reach.  The  cavalier's  heart 
must  have  beat  high  as  he  looked  upon  a  scene 
which  his  love  of  nature  doubtless  revelled  in. 
He  had  no  thought  of  any  sudden  misfortune. 
He  had  been  ill-treated,  but  the  future,  at  least, 
seemed  cloudless  and  serene  before  him. 

As  he  walked  in  smiling  reverie,  Sir  Robert 
Cecil,  who  was  James's  chief  adviser,  as  he  had 
been  Elizabeth's,  came  upon  the  terrace,  and  ad- 
vanced to  Ralegh  with  knitted  brow. 

"  Sir  Walter,"  said  he,  in  a  stern  voice,  "  you  are 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 89 

bidden  not  to  go  to  the  royal  hunt  to-day.  You 
are  commanded  to  repair  to  the  lords  of  the  king's 
councils.  They  have  some  serious  questions  to 
ask  you." 

Ralegh,  for  a  moment,  was  speechless  with 
amazement.  He  demanded  of  Cecil  what  the  lords 
of  the  council  desired  of  him. 

"  The  plot  of  Lord  Cobham  against  the  king  is 
discovered,"  returned  Cecil,  '*  and  you  are  sus- 
pected of  being  concerned  in  it." 

With  beating  heart  Ralegh  hastened  to  present 
himself  before  the  council.  He  was  received  with 
lowering  looks  and  cold,  repelling  manners.  He 
protested  with  all  the  earnestness  he  could  com- 
mand that  he  was  wholly  ignorant  of  any  plot  to 
dethrone  the  king.  He  was  then  disdainfully  dis- 
missed. 

A  day  or  two  afterwards,  he  wrote  to  the  council 
that  he  had  seen  Cobham  go  to  the  house  of  the 
Spanish  ambassador,  and  that  he  suspected  Cob- 
ham of  secret  dealings  with  that  personage. 
Cobham,  who  had  been  thrown  into  the  Tower, 
soon  heard  of  what  Ralegh  had  said.  Overcome 
with  anger  against  his  old  friend,  he  at  once  de- 
clared   that    Ralegh    had   instigated    him    to    plot 


190  RALEGH  : 

against  the  king.  Upon  this  Ralegh  was  arrested 
on  a  charge  of  high  treason,  and  was  torn  from  his 
family  and  imprisoned  in  the  Tower. 

He  saw  that  he  was  in  a  situation  of  great  peril. 
The  king  had  ahvays  disliked  him,  and  would 
probably  show  him  no  mercy.  His  old  friend 
Cecil  was  too  careful  of  his  own  fortunes  to  defend 
him.  Cobham  had  solemnly  sworn  that  Ralegh 
was  the  chief  conspirator.  The  judges  who  would 
try  him  were  devoted  to  the  king's  interests.  Ra- 
legh saw  before  him  at  last  certain  poverty  and 
disgrace.  It  might  be  that  he  was  standing  in  the 
face  of  death. 

And  now  he  was  each  day  brought  before  com- 
missioners, who  severely  questioned  and  cross- 
questioned  him  as  to  the  plot.  Cobham  again  and 
again  repeated  his  charges.  At  last  poor  Ralegh 
became  desperate.  He  felt  that  the  only  way 
in  which  he  could  preserve  his  wife  and  children, 
whom  he  most  tenderly  loved,  from  beggary  and 
dishonor,  was  to  destroy  himself. 

Accordingly  one  day  as  he  sat  in  his  dark, 
gloomy  cell,  in  a  sudden  fit  of  frenzy  he  seized  his 
dagger,  and  plunged  it  into  his  breast.  Fortu- 
nately,   as    he   lay   bleeding    and    fainting   on    his 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I9I 

couch,  a  warden  of  the  Tower  entered  the  cell. 
Physicians  were  soon  called  ;  the  wound  was  ban- 
daged up  ;  Ralegh  was  strictly  watched  ;  and  thus 
d  life  so  precious  to  England  was  with  difficulty 
saved ;  but  saved,  alas !  for  a  still  sadder  end  than 
that  which  he  had  designed. 

Reflection  caused  Ralegh  to  repent  bitterly  this 
attempt  upon  his  life.  He  now  turned  his  thoughts 
to  meeting  and  refuting  the  charge  which  had  been 
brought  against  him  ;  for  he  was  certain  to  be  tried 
for  treason.  The  only  evidence  which  could  secure 
his  condemnation  was  the  assertion  of  Lord  Cob- 
ham.  It  so  happened  that  Cobham  was  confined 
in  a  cell  near  Ralegh's  in  the  Tower. 

It  seemed  to  Ralegh  that,  as  Cobham  was  an 
irresolute  man,  and  had  had  a  great  affection  for 
him  in  former  days,  he  might  be  induced  to  retract 
his  false  accusation.  But  how  could  he  find  means 
to  communicate  with  Cobham  .?  Although  their 
cells  were  close  together,  the  two  prisoners  were 
never  allowed  to  meet  and  speak  to  each  other. 
They  were  taken  out  for  their  daily  walks  at  differ- 
ent times,  and,  aside  from  these  daily  walks,  they 
were  strictly  guarded  in  their  cells. 

Ralegh  had  a  faithful  attendant  in  the  person  of 


192  RALEGH  : 

a  youth  named  Cotercll.  He  knew  that  he  could 
rely  on  Coterell's  fidelity  and  shrewrhiess.  He 
therefore  one  day  lo:"nied  a  scheme  for  communi- 
cating with  Cobham,  with  Colerell's  aid.  Taking 
an  apple  which  had  been  served  to  him  for  dinner, 
he  tied  a  small  note  to  it.  This  he  gave  to  Cot- 
erell,  with  instructions  to  throw  it  into  the  window 
of  Cobham's  cell  when  the  wardens  were  out  of 
the  way.  Coterell  performed  his  task  so  adroitly 
that  Cobham  received  the  note  without  detection. 
The  note  implored  Cobham  to  retract  his  charge 
that  Ralegh  was  concerned  in  the  plot  to  place 
Arabella  Stuart  on  the  throne. 

Cobham,  with  a  sudden  generous  impulse,  at 
once  wrote  a  reply,  which  he  thrust  under  the  door 
of  the  cell.  Coterell,  who  had  been  impatiently 
awaiting  Cobham's  response,  hurriedly  grasped  the 
note,  and  hastened  to  Ralegh.  The  prisoner 
opened  it  with  trembling  fingers,  and  read  as 
follows :  — 

"  I  never  had  any  conference  with  you  in  any 
treason  ;  nor  was  I  ever  moved  by  you  to  the 
things  I  heretofore  accused  you  of.  And,  for  any- 
thing I  know,  you  are  as  innocent  and  as  clear 
from  any  treason  against  the  king  as  is  any  subject 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I93 

living.  God  so  deal  with  me,  and  have  mercy  on 
my  soul,  as  this  is  true." 

Ralegh  read  this  confession  with  a  thrill  of  joy. 
He  felt  sure  that  Cobham's  letter  would  restore 
him  to  family,  liberty,  and  honor.  It  took  away  all 
the  evidence  against  him.  What  was  his  chagrin 
when,  a  few  days  after,  he  learned  that  Cobham 
had  once  more  charged  him  with  treason,  and 
boldly  repudiated  the  note  of  confession  he  had 
written  to  him  !  It  now  only  remained  for  Ralegh 
to  put  faith  in  his  own  ability  to  repel  the  charge 
so  boldly  repeated,  and  to  rely  upon  his  own  inno- 
cence to  defend  him  in  the  face  of  his  accusers. 
He  knew  that  the  king  was  hostile  towards  him, 
and  that  his  many  enemies  would  strain  every 
nerve  to  secure  his  condemnation.  But  he  sus- 
tained from  this  time,  in  the  face  of  his  bitter  mis- 
fortunes, a  hopeful,  resolute,  and  dauntless  spirit. 

The  time  for  Ralegh's  trial  was  fixed  for  late  in 
the  autumn.  Meanwhile,  through  the  long  sum- 
mer, he  remained  solitary  in  his  dark  little  cell  in 
the  Tower.  It  was  only  at  rare  intervals  that  he 
was  permitted  to  clasp  to  his  breast  his  devoted 
and  loving  wife  and  his  pretty  children.  But  he  had 
the  great  consolation  which,  throughout  his  life,  he 


194  RALEGH ; 

had  derived  from  books,  and  from  writing  his  nar- 
ratives and  essays  ;  and  thus  the  days  sped  swiftly, 
until  the  time  came  when  he  was  to  be  brought 
before  his  judges. 

It  happened  that  the  plague  had  spread  through 
London,  and  was  now  raging  everywhere  through 
the  city.  The  court,  and  all  the  well-to-do  people, 
had  fled  at  its  approach,  and  the  city  was  well 
nigh  deserted.  The  scene  of  Ralegh's  trial  was 
therefore  transferred  to  the  ancient  town  of  Win- 
chester, in  south-western  England.  The  coming 
of  this  event  was  looked  forward  to  with  much 
curiosity  and  excitement,  not  alone  at  the  royal 
court,  but  among  the  people  throughout  England ; 
for  Ralegh  was  a  very  famous  man,  and  the  entire 
country  was  interested  in  his  fate. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I95 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

TRIED     FOR     HIS     LIFE. 

N  a  gloomy  morning  in  November,  1603, 
the  spires  and  towers  of  the  old  city  of 
Winchester  were  shrouded  in  fog  and 
mist.  But,  dismal  as  was  the  weather,  the  quaint, 
crooked  streets  were  early  filled  with  an  unwonted 
crowd.  It  was  evident  that  something  very  unusual 
was  about  to  take  place  ;  for  the  greater  part  of 
the  multitudes  which  thronged  the  thoroughfares 
consisted  of  strangers  to  the  town.  Cavalcades  of 
richly  dressed  gentlemen  and  attendants  in  livery, 
troops  of  horse  and  foot,  groups  of  lawyers  in 
their  crimson  costumes,  and  now  and  then  the 
retinue  of  a  solemn-looking  judge,  passed  and 
repassed  before  the  curious  eyes  of  the  inhabitants, 
who  deserted  house  and  shop  to  witness  the  un- 
familiar scenes  which  presented  themselves  in  their 
ordinarily  tranquil  streets. 

At  one  end  of  the  town  rose  the  ancient  towers 


196  RALEGH  : 

of  a  lofty  castle  ;  and  it  was  in  the  direction  of  this 
castle  that  the  tide  of  the  new-comers  steadily 
flowed.  Within  its  court-yard  troops  of  soldiers 
were  drawn  up,  while  about  the  doors  stood  sher- 
iffs, marshals,  and  other  officials  of  the  law.  Ever 
and  anon  the  soldiers  saluted  a  party  as  it  entered 
the  castle  portals,  —  a  party  consisting  of  one  of 
the  judges  in  his  long,  flowing  gown,  and  the  offi- 
cers whose  duty  it  was  to  escort  him. 

In  the  great  hall  of  the  castle,  a  high  bench, 
above  which  hung  a  rich  canopy  surmounted  by 
the  royal  arms  of  England,  had  been  erected  ;  and 
below  this  were  other  benches,  ranged  in  rows, 
some  parallel,  and  others  at  right  angles  with  each 
other.  The  hall,  in  short,  had  been  converted  into 
a  court  of  justice.  The  various  actors  of  the  drama 
which  was  about  to  ensue  were  already  beginning 
to  take  their  appointed  places.  The  lawyers  had 
come  in,  and  were  busy  with  their  books  and 
papers.  The  tipstaffs  were  ushering  the  specta- 
tors, many  of  whom  were  eminent  statesmen  and 
nobles  of  high  rank,  to  the  benches  set  apart  for 
them  ;  while  the  clerks  were  hurridly  preparing  to 
take  notes  of  the  proceedings. 

Presently   a   sheriff  commanded  quiet,  and   an- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  I97 

nounced  that  the  judges  were  about  to  make 
their  entrance.  Preceded  by  a  procession  of  officials 
bearing  long  rods,  the  grave  men  who  were  to  pre- 
side filed  in  slowly,  with  solemn  countenances, 
their  persons  enveloped  in  long  gowns.  These 
judges  were  all  men  of  note.  Among  them  might 
be  seen  the  crooked  figure  and  sallow,  serious  face 
of  Sir  Robert  Cecil,  the  king's  chief  adviser  ;  the 
tall  form  and  bronzed  features  of  Thomas  Howard, 
Earl  of  Suffolk  ;  the  Earl  of  Devonshire  ;  the  two 
chief  justices,  Popham  and  Anderson ;  and  the 
courtly  Sir  John  Stanhope.  Never  had  the  halls 
of  Wolvesey  Castle  —  which  was  the  name  of  the 
edifice  —  beheld  so  brilliant  a  galaxy  of  famous 
and  powerful  personages. 

Just  below  the  judges'  bench,  a  "man  of  sharp, 
hard  features,  with  keen  eyes,  and  a  firm,  thin 
mouth,  promptly  took  his  place.  This  was  Sir 
Edward  Coke,  the  attorney-general,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  conduct  the  prosecution,  and  who  had 
grimly  resolved  that  he  would  strain  every  nerve 
to  win  the  decision  of  the  court.  Just  opposite 
Coke  sat  the  twelve  men  who  were,  as  the  jury,  to 
decide  on  the  prisoner's  guilt  or  innocence. 

The  judges  now  ordered  the  sheriffs  to  bring  in 


198  RALEGH  : 

the  prisoner.  There  was  a  period  of  deathlike 
stillness.  All  eyes  were  strained  towards  the  door 
at  which  the  prisoner  would  enter.  Then  there 
was  a  stir  outside,  and  the  sound  of  heavy  foot- 
steps. The  door  was  flung  wide  Open,  and  Sir 
Walter  Ralegh,  led  by  two  officers,  appeared  ad- 
vancing through  the  crowded  hall.  His  handsome 
face  was  pale,  and  his  expression  mournful ;  but  he 
held  his  head  proudly  in  the  air,  and  his  step  was 
firm  and  resolute,  as  he  entered  the  box  which  had 
been  placed  for  him.  He  was  charged  with  high 
treason  against  the  king,  and  the  moment  of  his 
trial  for  that  crime  had  at  last  arrived.  All  eyes 
turned  upon  him  as,  after  a  low  bow  to  the  bench 
of  judges,  he  took  his  seat ;  he  answered  the  look 
by  glancing  deliberately  around  with  a  calm  and 
confident  visage.  Then  the  spectators  preserved 
perfect  silence,  as  the  voice  of  one  of  the  sergeants 
was  heard  reading,  in  clear,  rapid  tones,  the  indict- 
ment which  contained  the  charges  against  the 
prisoner.  No  sooner  had  he  finished,,  than  one  of 
the  clerks,  looking  at  Ralegh,  said, — 

"What  say  you,  Sir  Walter  Ralegh,  are  you  guilty 
or  not  guilty  ^  " 

"  Not  guilty,"  replied  Ralegh,  in  a  prompt,  loud 
voice. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  1 99 

"Do  you  desire  to  challenge  any  of  the  jury  ? " 

*'  I  know  none  of  them,"  said  Ralegh,  looking  at 
the  jury-box,  "but  think  them  all  honest  and 
Christian  men.  I  know  my  own  innocence,  and 
therefore  will  challenge  none." 

It  was  now  time  for  Sir  Edward  Coke,  the  attor- 
ney-general, to  make  his  address  against  the  pris- 
oner;  and  as  he  began  in  harsh,  bitter  tones  to 
inveigh  against  what  he  declared  to  be  Ralegh's 
treasonable  acts,  the  crowded  hall  hung  breath- 
lessly upon  his  lips.  So  violent  were  his  attacks 
that  Ralegh  again  and  again  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
hurled  back  his  insults  with  flushed  face  and  angry 
tones ;  and  the  scene  became  more  and  more  ex- 
citing as  the  wrath  of  the  two  men  waxed  to 
greater  intensity.  The  attorney-general  did  not 
hesitate  to  overwhelm  the  prisoner  with  odious 
epithets,  each  of  which  stung  Ralegh  into  a  hotly 
indignant  retort. 

"You  are  the  most  notorious  traitor,"  said  Coke, 
shaking  his  finger  violently,  ''that  ever  came  to 
the  bar." 

"Your  words  cannot  condemn  me,"  was  the 
reply;  "  my  innocence  is  my  defence." 

"  Nay,"  returned  Coke,  "  I  will"  prove  all.     Thou 


200  RALEGH  : 

art  a  monster ;  thou  hast  an  EngHsh  face,  but  a 
Spanish  heart.  All  Cobham  did  was  at  thy  insti- 
gation, thou  viper.  I  will  prove  thee  the  rankest 
traitor  in  all  England." 

"  No,  no,  master  attorney,"  said  Ralegh,  "  I  am 
no  traitor.  Whether  I  live  or  die,  I  shall  stand  as 
true  a  subject  as  ever  the  king  hath." 

Finally  Ralegh  insisted  on  replying  to  some  of 
Coke's  charges.  Rising  in  his  seat,  and  sweeping 
the  intently  listening  throng  with  a  rapid  glance, 
he  launched  forth  into  a  speech  so  earnest  and 
eloquent  that  every  heart  was  thrilled  by  it.  He 
showed  that  he  did  not  know  of  Cobham's  plot, 
and  had  no  share  in  it ;  and  explained  why  Cobham 
had  made  his  false  accusations  against  him.  And 
he  went  on  thus  : 

"  It  is  very  strange  that  I  should  be  thought  to 
plot  with  Lord  Cobham,  knowing  him  to  be  a  man 
that  hath  neither  love  nor  following.  I  was  not  so 
bare  of  sense  but  I  saw  that,  if  ever  this  state  was 
strong,  it  was  now  that  we  have  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  united,  whence  we  were  wont  to  fear  all 
our  troubles ;  Ireland  quieted,  where  our  forces 
were  wont  to  be  divided  ;  and  instead  of  a  lady 
whom  time  had  surprised,  we   had  now  an  active 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  201 

king,  who  would  be  present  at  his  own  business. 
For  me,  at  this  time,  to  make  myself  a  Robin 
Hood,  a  Watt  Tyler,  or  a  Jack  Cade,  I  was  not  so 
mad  !  I  knew  the  King  of  Spain  well ;  his  weak- 
ness, his  poorness,  his  humbleness,  at  this  time.  I 
knew  that  six  times  we  had  repulsed  his  forces  ; 
thrice  at  sea, —  once  upon  our  coast,  and  twice  upon 
his  own.  Thrice  had  I  served  against  him  myself 
at  sea,  wherein,  for  my  country's  sake,  I  had  ex- 
pended, of  my  own  property,  forty  thousand  pounds. 
I  knew  that  where,  beforetime,  he  was  wont  to 
have  forty  great  sail,  at  least,  in  his  ports,  now  he 
hath  not  past  six  or  seven.  I  knew  that  of  twenty- 
five  millions  which  he  had  from  the  Indies,  he  had 
scarcely  any  left.  Nay,  I  knew  his  poorness  to  be 
such  at  this  time,  that  the  Jesuits,  his  imps,  begged 
at  his  church  doors.  And  to  show  that  I  am  not 
Spanish,  as  you  term  me,  at  this  time  I  had  written 
a  treatise  to  the  king  on  the  state  of  Spain,  and 
reasons  against  making  peace." 

As  Ralegh,  growing  more  and  more  earnest, 
went  on,  murmurs  of  approval  and  admiration 
buzzed  through  the  hall.  His  erect  figure,  his 
handsome  face,  now  flushed  with  animation,  his 
flashing   bright  eye,   his  musical    voice    trembling 


202  RALEGH  : 

with  emotion,  heightened  the  powerful  effect  pro- 
duced by  his  glowing  words.  After  showing  how 
absurd  the  charge  against  him  was,  Ralegh  turned 
suddenly  to  the  bench  of  judges,  and  said :  — 

"  My  lords,  I  claim  to  have  my  accuser  brought 
here,  to  speak  face  to  face.  The  law  saith  that  no 
man  shall  be  condemned  of  treason,  unless  he  be 
accused  by  two  lawful  accusers.  If  you  condemn 
me  by  bare  inferences,  without  an  oath,  without 
witnesses,  you  try  me  by  Spanish  inquisition.  If 
my  accuser  were  dead,  or  abroad,  it  were  some- 
thing ;  but  he  liveth,  and  is  in  this  very  house. 
Consider,  it  is  no  rare  case  for  a  man  to  be  falsely 
accused,  aye,  and  falsely  condemned,  too.  I  be- 
seech you,  then,  my  lords,  let  Cobham  be  sent  for ; 
let  him  be  charged,  upon  his  soul,  upon  his  alle- 
giance to  the  king ;  and  if  he  will  then  maintain 
his  accusation  to  my  face,  I  will  confess  myself 
guilty." 

Although  Cobham  was  at  that  very  moment 
guarded  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  castle,  Ralegh's 
demand  that  he  should  come  into  court  and  be 
confronted  with  him,  was  refused  by  the  judges.' 
It  became  more  and  more  evident,  as  the  trial  went 
on.  that  the  judges  were  against  the  prisoner,  and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  203 

were  as  eager  that  he  should  be  condemned  as  was 
Sir  Edward  Coke  himself. 

Hour  after  hour  the  trial  went  on.  The  duel  of 
words  between  Ralegh  and  Coke  ever  and  anon 
rose  to  a  fierce  conflict.  Nor  did  the  judges  them- 
selves hesitate  to  launch  reproaches  at  the  pris- 
oner. He  defended  himself  against  all  these 
assaults,  solitary  and  alone  ;  and  at  every  opportu- 
nity vehemently  declared  his  innocence  of  the  crime 
which  they  were  trying  to  fasten  upon  him. 

At  last  the  speeches  and  witnesses  came  to  an 
end.  Ralegh  calmly  took  his  seat,  and  awaited  the 
issue.  The  audience  sat  breathlessly  in  suspense. 
Then  the  jury  were  ordered  to  retire  and  consider 
their  verdict.  As  the  twelve  men  upon  whom 
Ralegh's  fate  depended  filed  out  of  their  box  and 
across  the  hall,  every  eye  was  anxiously  fixed  upon 
them.  The  minutes  seemed  hours  while  they  were 
out.  A  buzz  of  whispered  conversation  was  heard 
through  the  hall.  The  judges  put  their  heads  to- 
gether, and  talked  in  subdued  tones.  The  oflficers 
moved  on  tiptoe  through  the  room.  Ralegh's  face 
was  tranquil,  and  slightly  pale  ;  its  expression  was 
firm  and  resolute.  In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
the  steps  of  the  jury  were  heard  returning  to  the 


204  RALEGH  : 

hall.  Instantly  breathless  silence  reigned  again,  in 
the  midst  of  which  the  jury  resumed  their  places, 
standing,  in  the  box. 

In  a  solemn  voice  the  clerk  of  the  court  addressed 
them  :  — 

"  How  say  you,  gentlemen,  is  the  prisoner  guilty 
or  not  guilty  of  high  treason  against  our  sovereign 
lord,  the  king  .?  " 

The  foreman,  in  a  low,  distinct  voice  replied, — 

"  Guilty." 

The  word  sent  a  shudder  through  the  listen- 
ing multitude.  But  no  man  had  time  to  exchange 
his  thoughts  with  his  neighbor;  for  no  sooner 
had  the  verdict  been  rendered,  than  Sir  John  Pop- 
ham,  Chief  Justice  of  England,  prepared  to  deliver 
the  sentence  of  the  court.  Ralegh  stood,  pale  and 
erect,  in  his  box.  Asked  if  he  had  anything  to 
say,  he  replied,  in  firm  tones,  "  My  lords,  the  jury 
hath  found  me  guilty.  They  must  do  as  they  are 
directed.  I  can  say  nothing  why  judgment  should 
not  proceed.  You  see  whereof  Cobham  hath  ac- 
cused me ;  you  remember  his  declaration  that 
I  was  never  guilty.  I  desire  that  the  king 
should  know  the  wrong  I  have  suffered  since  I 
came  hither." 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  205 

The  Chief  Justice  then  ordered  Ralegh  to  remain 
standing,  and  to  receive  the  sentence  of  the  law. 
In  delivering  judgment,  Popham  was  quite  as 
violent  as  Coke  had  been.  He  insulted  the  pris- 
oner with  many  outrageous  epithets,  and  in  one 
part  of  his  address  was  so  abusive  that  Coke  him- 
self hung  his  head  with  shame,  and  the  spectators 
boldly  hissed.  At  the  end,  in  a  tone  of  voice  that 
betrayed  his  satisfaction,  Popham  sentenced  Ralegh 
to  death. 

All  through  the  judge's  tirade  Ralegh  stood  with 
silent  dignity.  His  condemnation  to  death  did  not 
excite  a  quiver  or  a  tremor.  He  quietly  resumed 
his  seat  until  the  marshal  of  the  court  came  and 
conducted  him  out  of  the  hall.  But  if  Ralegh 
himself  remained  serene  under  the  awful  sentence, 
the  spectators  were  one  and  all  intensely  excited 
by  it.  Ralegh's  bearing  throughout  the  trial  had 
won  the  hearts  of  all  who  had  witnessed  it.  The 
audience  had  come,  entertaining  hostile  feelings 
towards  him,  and  indulging  the  hope  that  he  would 
be  condemned.  They  departed  full  of  admiration 
and  sympathy  for  him,  bewailing  his  doom,  and 
uttering  loud  and  bitter  denunciations  against  the 
judges.     One  of  these  spectators  afterwards  said, 


206  RALEGH  : 

"  When  I  saw  Sir  Walter  Ralegh  first,  I  was  so  led 
with  the  common  hatred,  that  I  would  have  gone  a 
hundred  miles  to  see  him  hanged.  But  ere  we 
departed,  I  would  have  gone  a  thousand  to  save  his 
life." 

The  gross  injustice  and  unfairness  of  the  trial 
were  condemned  on  every  hand,  and  while  many 
had  before  believed  Ralegh  guilty  of  treason,  the 
opinion  now  generally  prevailed  that  Cobham 
had  falsely  accused  him,  and  that  he  was  entirely 
innocent.  History  has  confirmed  this  judgment. 
It  was  not  true  that  Ralegh  conspired  to  depose 
King  James,  and  to  place  Arabella  Stuart  on  the 
throne  ;  nor  was  it  true  that  he,  who  had  been  all 
his  life  an  inveterate  foe  of  Spain,  had  resolved 
to  betray  England  in  order  to  favor  the  interests 
of  the  Spanish  king.  But  it  is  probable  that  he 
knew  something  about  Cobham's  plot ;  that  he  may 
for  a  moment  have  weakly  listened  to  Cobham's 
appeal  to  join  him  ;  and  that  he  failed  to  expose,  at 
the  right  time,  a  conspiracy  aimed  at  the  sovereign 
to  whom  he  professed  to  be  loyal. 

The  other  prisoners  —  the  priest  Watson,  George 
Brooke,  Sir  Philip  Markham,  Lord  Cobham,  and 
Lord  Grey  de  Wilton  —  were  duly  tried  and  found 


HJS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  20/ 

guilty  ;  and  they  were  all  condemned  to  suffer 
the  same  fate  as  Ralegh.  Early  in  December 
Watson  was  executed  at  Winchester,  expressing  on 
the  scaffold  deep  remorse  for  his  crime.  George 
Brooke  met  his  doom  a  few  days  after,  with  humility 
and  resignation.  As  for  Markham,  Cobham,  Grey, 
and  Ralegh,  they  were  imprisoned  in  the  Castle, 
preparatory  to  being  beheaded  a  few  days  later. 
Lady  Ralegh,  overwhelmed  with  grief  at  her  hus- 
band's cruel  sentence,  and  in  the  desperate  hope  of 
saving  his  life,  threw  herself  with  sobs  and  tears  at 
Cecil's  feet,  and  implored  him  in  touching  accents 
to  save  his  old  friend's  life.  Ralegh  himself  wrote 
piteously  to  the  king,  declaring  his  innocence,  and 
saying  that  "  a  greater  gift  none  can  give,  none 
receive,  than  life." 

But  these  prayers  seemed  to  make  no  impression 
either  on  the  king  or  on  Cecil,  his  minister.  The 
king  sent  two  clergymen  to  the  prisoners,  bidding 
them  to  cherish  no  hope  of  being  pardoned.  He 
told  those  who  pleaded  with  him  for  mercy  that  his 
mind  was  made  up  that  the  prisoners  should  suffer 
death.  Then  a  message  was  sent  to  Cobham, 
Markham  and  Grey,  telling  them  to  prepare  to 
meet  their  doom  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  Dccem- 


208  RALEGH  : 

ber  loth.  Ralegh's  life  was  spared  for  three  days 
longer.  He  was  to  die  on  the  morning  of  Monday, 
the  13th. 

The  day  of  the  execution  of  the  three  conspirators 
came  all  too  speedily.  On  the  morning  of  the  loth 
a  large  crowd  gathered  in  the  courtyard  of  the 
Castle,  where  the  scaffold  had  been  set  up.  Down 
to  the  last  moment,  the  three  condemned  men 
had  hoped  against  hope  that  the  king  might 
relent  and  spare  them.  But  as  the  morning  sun 
of  the  final  day  shone  in  on  their  cells,  and 
no  tidings  of  reprieve  arrived,  they  yielded  to 
despair. 

Markham  was  the  first  to  be  led  forth  to  the 
scaffold.  There  stood  the  executioner,  grim  and 
mysterious  in  his  black  mask.  Sir  Benjamin 
Tichborne,  the  high  sheriff,  slowly  led  Markham  up 
the  steps.  The  prisoner's  expression  was  pale  and 
sorrowful.  A  friend,  standing  by,  offered  him  a 
handkerchief  to  cover  his  face.  "  No,"  replied 
Markham,  shaking  his  head,  "  I  can  look  upon 
death  without  blushing."  He  knelt  in  prayer,  and 
then  embraced  those  of  his  old  comrades  who  stood 
in  a  sad  group  around  him.  All  this  time  Ralegh, 
the  window  of  whose  cell  overlooked  the  courtyard, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  2O9 

watched  the  tragic  scene  with  eager  eyes  and 
beating  heart. 

Just  as  Markham  was  approaching  the  execu- 
tioner, who  stood  all  ready  to  do  his  bloody  work, 
a  sudden  movement  in  the  crowd  attracted  the 
high  sheriff's  attention.  A  man  was  frantically 
pushing  his  way  toward  the  scaffold.  He  breath- 
lessly ascended  the  steps,  and  whispered  to  Sir 
Benjamin  Tichborne.  The  latter  then  turned  to 
Markham,  and  said  that  the  execution  would  be 
delayed  a  little  while.  The  spectators  looked  on 
this  mysterious  scene  with  puzzled  faces.  The 
prisoner  was  led  down  from  the  scaffold,  and  locked 
up  in  the  great  hall  of  the  Castle.  What  could  all 
this  mean  .'* 

It  was  not  long  before  the  sheriff  again  made  his 
appearance,  this  time  conducting  Lord  Grey  to  the 
scaffold.  This  brave  young  noble  wore  a  cheerful, 
smiling  countenance.  He  was  ignorant  of  what 
had  just  taken  place,  and  thought  that  he  was  about 
to  die  ;  but  he  bore  himself  like  a  true  cavalier 
After  a  long  prayer,  he  walked  with  erect  form  and 
brisk  step  to  the  side  of  the  executioner.  But 
instead  of  giving  the  executioner  the  signal  to  pro- 
ceed, the  sheriff  at  this  last  moment  turned  to  Lord 


2IO  RALEGH : 

Grey,  and  told  him  also  that  his  execution  would 
not  take  place  until  after  that  of  Cobham  ;  and  he 
thereupon  led  Grey,  as  he  had  done  Markham,  into 
the  Castle  hall.  The  mystery  was  growing  deeper 
and  more  perplexing  every  moment.  The  crowd 
was  puzzled  more  than  ever.  With  increasing 
amazement  they  saw  the  sheriff  reappear,  bringing 
with  him  Lord  Cobham,  the  last  of  the  three  pris- 
oners whose  execution  had  been  set  for  that  day. 

Cobham  advanced  boldly,  and  ascended  the 
scaffold  with  resolute  tread.  He  went  through  the 
same  preparations  as  Markham  and  Grey  before 
him.  When  he  rose  from  praying,  Sir  Benjamin 
Tichborne  walked  up  to  him,  and  said, — 

"  There  yet  remains  something  to  be  done. 
You  are  now  to  be  confronted  with  the  other  pris- 
oners." 

Leaving  Cobham  standing  and  staring  with  won- 
der on  the  scaffold,  the  high  sheriff  repaired  to  the 
hall,  and  presently  returned,  leading  Markham  and 
Grey.  He  stationed  them  at  Cobham's  side,  and 
then,  standing  before  them,  addressed  all  three 
with  these  questions,  — 

"  Are  not  your  offences  heinous  ?  Have  you 
not  been  justly  tried,  and  lawfully  condemned  ?     Is 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  211 

not  each  of  you  subject  to  due  execution,  now  to 
be  performed  ?  " 

One  after  another,  the  prisoners  bowed  their 
heads  to  each  question,  in  token  of  assent. 

*'  Then,"  said  Tichborne,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  behold 
the  mercy  of  your  sovereign,  who  of  himself  hath  sent 
hither  a  countermand,  and  hath  given  you  your  lives." 

A  thrill  of  excitement  and  delight  passed 
through  the  crowd  of  spectators.  The  faces  of  the 
prisoners  were  lit  up  with  a  sudden  joy.  The 
people  burst  into  applause,  and  the  three  reprieved 
men  embraced  each  other.  Ralegh,  looking  from 
his  grated  window,  saw  what  had  happened,  and 
heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief. 

*'  If  ever  I  prove  a  traitor,"  exclaimed  Cobham, 
"  I  will  not  so  much  as  beg  my  life." 

"  Since  the  king  hath  given  me  my  life,"  cried 
Grey,  "  without  my  begging,  I  will  deserve  life." 

Ralegh  was  soon  gladdened  by  the  welcome 
news  that  he,  too,  was  to  be  spared.  But  neither 
one  of  the  prisoners  was  awarded  his  liberty. 
They  had  escaped  death,  but  were  still  to  remain 
in  confinement.  In  a  few  days  they  were  con- 
ducted to  London,  and  found  themselves  the  occu- 
pants of  cells  in  the  Tower. 


212  RALEGH 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TWELVE    YEARS    IN    THE    TOWER. 

T  was  with  a  weary  sigh  that  Ralegh  once 
more  entered  the  dismal  portals  of  the 
Tower  of  London.  He  knew  well  what 
a  cheerless  abode  it  was,  for  he  had  already  been 
imprisoned  there  for  several  months  by  the  an- 
gry caprice  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Nevertheless  he 
rejoiced  that  King  James  had  so  far  relented  as  to 
spare  his  life,  and  looked  forward  with  hope  to  a 
turn  of  events  which  would  also,  ere  very  long, 
restore  to  him  his  liberty.  He  little  knew  that 
years  would  elapse  before  he  would  walk  the  earth 
a  free  man  asrain. 

He  soon  found  himself  placed  in  -a  cell  in  the 
building  called  the  **  Bloody  Tower,"  —  the  same 
grim  edifice  where  the  young  princes  had  been 
murdered  centuries  before.  This  Bloody  Tower 
overlooked  the  river  Thames  on  one  side,  and  on 
the  other  was  bounded  by  a  small  but  pretty  and 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  21 3 

well-kept  garden,  which  was  occupied  by  the  lieu- 
tenant of  the  prison.  Above  this  garden  stretched 
a  broad,  lofty  wall,  which  served  as  a  sentinel's 
beat,  and  was  also  now  and  then  used  by  the  pris- 
oners for  walking  in  the  open  air. 

Ralegh  therefore  found  his  quarters  in  the  Tower 
in  some  respects  far  from  unpleasant.  It  happened 
that  the  lieutenant  at  that  time  was  an  old  friend 
of  his,  named  Sir  George  Harvey,  who  was  dis- 
posed to  treat  him  with  every  kindness  and  indul- 
gence. Harvey  not  only  often  invited  Ralegh  to 
dine  with  him,  but  allowed  him  to  receive  frequent 
visits  from  his  many  friends,  who  still  clung  to 
him  in  spite  of  his  misfortunes.  At  first,  Ralegh's 
wife  and  young  son  were  allowed  to  live  with  him 
in  his  quarters,  and  he  was  permitted  to  have  the 
service  of  three  of  his  family  servants.  With  such 
privileges,  the  imprisoned  cavalier  was  able  to  pass 
his  time  in  something  like  comfort  and  ease. 

Many  of  the  favors  which  relieved  the  tedium 
of  his  imprisonment  he  doubtless  owed  to  Sir 
Robert  Cecil,  then  the  all-powerful  adviser  of  the 
king ;  who,  although  he  had  been  one  of  Ralegh's 
judges,  was  as  kindly  disposed  to  him  as  he  thought 
it  for  his  own  interest  to  be.     Soon  after  his  arrival 


214  RALEGH: 

at  the  Tower,  Ralegh  wrote  to  Cecil,  "Good  my 
lord,  remember  your  poor  and  ancient  friend,  that 
I  perish  not  here,  where  health  wears  away,  and 
whose  short  times  run  fast  on  in  misery  only. 
Those  who  plotted  to  surprise  and  assail  the  per- 
son of  the  king  are  at  liberty.  Do  not  forget  me, 
or  doubt  me."  This  pathetic  letter  seems  to  have 
created  a  deep  impression  upon  Cecil's  heart. 

But  though  Cecil  could  soften  the  bitterness  of 
imprisonment,  he  could  not  procure  Ralegh's  re- 
lease ;  and  Ralegh  soon  perceived  that  he  was  des- 
tined to  spend  a  long  period  in  the  Tower.  Before 
many  weeks  had  passed  away,  a  new  danger  threat- 
ened the  unhappy  prisoner  and  his  family.  The 
terrible  plague,  which  had  been  raging  in  London, 
made  its  appearance  among  the  Tower  prisoners. 
It  soon  crept  to  the  very  room  next  to  that  occu- 
pied by  the  Raleghs.  They  were  in  serious  peril 
of  perishing  by  this  dreadful  distemper.  With 
heavy  heart,  Ralegh  was  forced  to  part,  for  a  while, 
from  his  wife  and  child,  who  took  lodgings  in  a 
street  not  far  from  the  Tower,  so  as  to  at  least  be 
near  him.  Soon  after  this,  Lady  Ralegh  gave 
birth  to  their  second  son,  who  was  named  Carew. 

Scarcely  had  the  danger  from  the  plague  disap- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  21 5 

peared  when,  one  morning,  Ralegh's  jailor  abruptly 
informed  him  that  he  was  to  be  removed  at  once 
from  the  Tower  to  the  yet  more  dismal  prison  of 
the  Fleet.  At  first  Ralegh  could  not  understand 
the  reason  of  this  strange  and  sudden  proceeding. 
But  it  soon  transpired  that  King  James  was  about 
to  come  to  the  Tower  with  his  court,  to  witness  a 
bull-fight.  Now  it  was  the  custom,  when  the  sov- 
ereign held  one  of  these  festivities  at  the  Tower, 
that  he  should  mark  the  occasion  by  releasing  all 
the  prisoners  within  its  walls.  This  custom  King 
James  proposed  to  follow  ;  and  so,  in  order  that 
Ralegh  might  not  share  the  clemency  granted 
to  his  fellow-prisoners,  he  was  removed  for  the 
while  to  the  Fleet.  Cobham  and  Grey  were,  for 
the  same  reason,  sent  to  the  Fleet  with  him. 

The  king  accordingly  held  the  bull-fight  without 
being  disturbed  by  the  presence  of  these  prisoners. 
''On  Monday,  March  26th,"  it  is  related,  "the 
king,  queen,  and  prince,  together  with  the  council 
and  the  whole  court,  went  down  the  river  to  the 
Tower,  in  long  and  gay  procession.  The  crowd 
of  Londoners  who  had  flocked  to  see  the  sight 
was  so  great  that  the  king  and  his  courtiers  could 
only  with  difficulty  ascend   the  stairs.     Bulls  and 


2l6  RALEGH  : 

Other  animals  were  baited,  and  many  minor  amuse- 
ments added  their  attractions  to  the  scene.  The 
king  then  caused  all  the  prisons  of  the  Tower  to 
be  opened,  and  all  the  prisoners  then  within  them 
to  be  released." 

When  these  festivities  had  come  to  an  end, 
Ralegh  was  brought  back  again  to  his  old  quarters 
in  the  Bloody  Tower.  It  was  a  welcome  change, 
for  the  miserable  cells  of  the  Fleet  had  made  him 
ill.  Sir  George  Harvey,  the  lieutenant,  continued 
to  treat  his  prisoner  with  the  most  thoughtful 
kindness.  He  offered  Ralegh  the  use  of  his 
pleasant  little  garden,  —  an  offer  which  filled  Ra- 
legh with  gratitude,  and  which  he  promptly  ac- 
cepted. His  happiest  hours  were  spent,  for  a  long 
time,  in  this  garden.  He  found,  in  one  corner 
of  it,  a  hen-house.  This  he  speedily  converted  into 
a  still.  Then  he  caused  a  laboratory  and  a  furnace 
to  be  built ;  and  having  thus  provided  himself  with 
the  proper  conveniences,  he  passed  a  great  deal  of 
his  time  making  experiments  in  chemistry. 

Ralegh  had  always,  through  his  stirring  career, 
kept  up  with  ardor  the  studies  which  he  loved  ; 
and  now,  in  his  imprisonment,  instead  of  moaning 
and  bewailing  his  loss  of  liberty,  he  set  cheerily  to 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOVAGES.  2\J 

work  on  intellectual  tasks.  He  had  been  an  en- 
thusiastic student  of  chemistry  ;  and  now,  every 
morning,  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  bath  and 
his  breakfast,  he  hurried  down  to  his  little  labora- 
tory, and  was  soon  deeply  absorbed  in  assaying 
metallic  ores,  concocting  elixirs  for  medicine,  and 
amusing  himself  with  experiments. 

The  many  rare  and  curious  plants  which  were 
cultivated  in  the  garden  afforded  Ralegh  an  oppor- 
tunity to  pursue  another  science  which  had  lono- 
interested  him  —  that  of  botany.  When  he  was 
tired  of  his  laboratory,  it  was  always  a  relief  to  set 
to  analyzing  the  stems,  leaves,  and  flowers.  Or,  if 
he  was  in  pensive  mood,  he  would  lay  aside  these 
tasks,  and  pace  up  and  down  the  garden,  with 
bowed  head  and  hands  clasped  behind  him,  and 
indulge  in  reveries  of  the  eventful  past,  or  perhaps 
dreom  of  ambitions  still  to  be  fulfilled.  He  soon 
became  known  as  a  skilful  chemist,  and  the  ladies 
of  the  court  began  to  apply  to  him  for  nostrums  to 
cure  their  aches  and  ills.  On  one  occasion  the 
queen  herself,  having  fallen  dangerously  ill,  applied 
to  him  for  medicine.  He  sent  her  a  bottle  of  cor- 
dial, which  she  took  ;  and  she  always  declared 
afterwards  that  she  believed  that  Ralegh  had  thus 


2l8  RALEGH: 

saved  her  life.  Another  time,  the  Countess  of 
Beaumont,  wife  of  the  French  ambassador,  went 
herself  to  the  Tower,  to  beg  of  him  a  box  of  his 
balsam,  of  whose  virtues  she  had  heard  high 
praises. 

Unfortunately  for  Ralegh,  Sir  George  Harvey 
was  after  a  while  removed  from  his  office  as  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Tower,  and  was  succeeded  by  Sir 
William  Waad.  This  man  had  been  one  of  Ra- 
legh's judges  on  his  trial,  and  unlike  Harvey, 
was  very  unfriendly  in  his  feeUngs  towards  him. 
Waad  began  to  deprive  him  of  some  of  the  privi- 
leges which  Harvey  had  amiably  granted.  Ralegh 
was  a  very  celebrated  man,  and  every  day  many 
people  came  to  the  Tower  to  see  him.  Crowds 
would  sometimes  gather  on  the  hill,  and  gaze  over 
the  wall  at  him,  as  he  walked  in  the  little  garden. 
All  this  aroused  Waad's  anger  and  jealousy  ;  he 
disliked  to  have  one  of  his  prisoners  made  more 
of  than  he  himself  was.  So  he  wrote  to  Cecil, 
who  had  now  become  Earl  of  Salisbury :  *'  Sir 
Walter  Ralegh  hath  converted  a  little  hen-house  in 
the  garden  into  a  still,  where  he  doth  spend  his 
time  all  the  day  in  his  distillations.  I  desire  not 
to  remove  him,  though  I  want,  by  that  means,  the 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  219 

garden.  If  a  brick  wall  were  built,  it  would  be 
more  safe  and  convenient."  But  Cecil  did  what  he 
could  to  preserve  to  Ralegh  such  few  privileges  as 
he  had,  and  refused  to  have  the  brick  wall  built. 

Besides  the  garden,  Ralegh  had  the  broad  wall 
for  a  promenade  ;  and  here  he  often  paced  up  and 
down,  in  full  view  of  the  public.  Thus  the  wall 
came  to  be  known  as  *'  Ralegh's  Walk ;  "  and  so  it 
is  called  to  this  day.  Waad  liked  these  prom- 
enades before  the  people  as  little  as  Ralegh's  oc- 
cupancy of  the  garden.  "  He  doth  show  himself 
on  the  wall,"  wrote  Waad,  again,  to  Cecil,  "  to  the 
view  of  the  people  who  gaze  upon  him  ;  which  made 
me  bold  in  discretion  and  conveniency  to  restrain 
him  again."  Waad  was  also  much  annoyed  by  the 
frequent  visits  which  Lady  Ralegh  made  to  her 
husband,  coming  thither  in  a  coach  ;  and  by  the 
servants  whom  Ralegh  had  about  him.  So  he 
ordered  that  after  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the 
servants  should  all  go  and  stay  in  their  quarters  for 
the  night  ;  and  that  wives  of  prisoners  should  not 
lodge  in  the  Tower,  or  come  thither  in  coaches. 

Under  the  many  restrictions  and  vexations  which 
Waad  imposed  upon  him,  Ralegh's  health  broke 
down,  and  he  became,  as  was  natural,  very  despon- 


220  RALEGH  : 

dent.  His  cell  in  the  Tower  was  damp  and 
cheerless,  and  he  was  finally  allowed  to  live,  for  a 
while,  in  the  airy  and  pleasant  little  laboratory 
which  he  had  caused  to  be  erected  in  the  garden. 

All  this  time,  Ralegh's  friends  at  court  were 
ceaseless  in  their  efforts  to  obtain  his  liberty. 
The  obstinate  king  remained  deaf  to  their  earnest 
appeals  ;  but  there  was  one  person,  very  high  in 
rank,  who  not  only  listened  to  them  with  friendly 
ear,  but  became  as  ardent  as  any  of  them  in  Ralegh's 
behalf.  This  was  young  Henry,  Prince  of  Wales, 
King  James'  eldest  son  and  heir.  Prince  Henry 
was  then  in  the  full  beauty  and  vigor  of  youth.  He 
was  brave  and  bold,  warm-hearted,  impulsive,  and 
generous.  He  was  fond  of  adventure  and  enter- 
prise, and  was  wise  and  thoughtful  beyond  his  years. 
In  person,  he  was  tall,  handsome,  and  noble-looking. 
By  his  character  and  actions,  he  had  won  the  love 
not  only  of  the  courtiers,  but  of  the  masses  of  the 
people.  His  accession  to  the  throne  was  looked 
forward  to  with  the  brightest  hopes. 

It  was  not  long  before  Prince  Henry  learned  to 
admire  and  esteem  the  famous  prisoner  in  the 
Tower.  Ralegh's  adventurous  and  checkered  career 
deeply  interested  him;  and  his  manners  and  tern- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    Ax\D     VOYAGES.  221 

perament  won  the  Prince's  warm  affection.  Henry 
left  untried  no  effort  to  secure  Ralegh's  liberty  ; 
and  more  than  once  scolded  King  James  angrily 
for  not  setting  him  free.  But  the  king  was  not  to 
be  persuaded.  The  prince  then  took  pains  to  pay 
Ralegh  frequent  visits,  both  to  show  the  world  how 
warm  his  sympathies  were  with  him,  and  to  enjoy 
his  attractive  society.  He  would  sit  with  Ralegh 
for  hours,  and  ask  him  questions  about  ship-building 
and  the  art  of  navigation,  and  about  Ralegh's  expe- 
dition to  South  America.  Whenever  Henry  was 
troubled  about  any  matter,  Ralegh  was  the  first 
person  to  whom  he  repaired  for  comfort  and 
counsel.  When  it  was  proposed  that  he  should 
marry  a  princess  of  Savoy,  he  hurried  to  Ralegh 
for  advice  ;  and  when  Ralegh  opposed  it,  Henry 
promptly  gave  up  the  plan. 

Ralegh  was  very  much  pleased  to  have  won  the 
affection  of  this  noble  and  charming  young  prince, 
and  warmly  reciprocated  it.  He  loved  the  prince 
for  his  many  fine  qualities ;  and  he  knew  that, 
should  Henry  succeed  to  the  throne,  he  himself 
would  not  only  become  free,  but  would  at  once 
assume  a  high  place  in  the  councils  of  the  nation. 
He  would  pass  from  a  prison  cell  to  the  very  height 


222  RALEGH  : 

of  power.  All  these  bright  visions  were  doomed 
to  a  sad  and  sudden  ending.  In  May,  i6i2,  Sir 
Robert  Cecil,  Earl  of  Salisbury,  died  on  a  journey 
from  Bath  to  London.  This  was  a  severe  blow  to 
Ralegh  ;  for,  although  Cecil  had  taken  part  in  his 
trial,  and  had  been  one  of  the  judges  who  con- 
demned him,  he  had  in  many  ways  since  shown 
that  his  old  friendship  for  Ralegh  still  survived.  A 
greater  misfortune  soon  succeeded  this  event ;  for 
young  Prince  Henry,  who  was  always  very  reckless 
of  himself,  and  rashly  exposed  himself  in  all  kinds 
of  weather,  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  violent 
fever,  and,  to  the  grief  of  the  entire  nation,  died  on 
the  6th  of  November.  With  these  two  deaths, 
Ralegh's  hopes  of  freedom  once  more  vanished. 

And  now  yet  other  troubles  sadly  oppressed  him. 
His  fair  and  beautiful  domain  of  Sherborne,  where 
he  had  spent  so  many  happy  days,  where  his  young 
son  Walter  had  been  born  and  reared,  and  where 
his  faithful  wife  had  awaited  his  coming  from 
strange  lands  across  the  great  deep,  was  taken  from 
him  by  King  James,  and  given  to  Robert  Carr,  the 
young  Scotch  adventurer  who  had  now  become  the 
king's  favorite.  As  long  as  Cecil  lived  Sherborne 
had    been  preserved  to  him  ;    but  Carr's  rapacity 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  223 

overcame  all  obstacles.  No  more  would  Ralegh 
saunter  through  those  cool  groves,  or  sit  on  the  old 
stone  seat  near  the  house  and  meditate  new 
ambitions.  No  more  would  he  rejoice  in  the 
growths  of  the  gardens  and  orchards  which  he  him- 
self had  planted  with  loving  care.  No  more  would 
he  wander  in  the  spacious  deer  park,  or  gaze  on 
\he  lovely  prospect  which  spread  out  before  him  in 
Hanover  Wood. 

But  Ralegh  in  prison  had  one  resource  of  which 
the  cruelty  of  kings  and  the  greed  of  parasites 
could  not  easily  deprive  him.  In  the  companion- 
ship of  his  books,  and  the  charming  and  engrossing 
occupations  of  his  pen,  he  found  a  consolation  for 
all  his  griefs.  He  set  bravely  to  work  on  various 
literary  schemes,  which  had  long  been  forming  in 
his  mind.  He  varied  the  pleasant  tasks  of  the 
laboratory  and  the  garden,  by  sitting  for  hours 
together  at  his  desk,  poring  over  his  volumes  and 
planning  his  projected  books.  It  was  fortunate  for 
his  renown  that  he  devoted  himself  to  these  labors  ; 
for  the  works  which  he  wrote  while  a  prisoner  in 
the  Tower  won  him  a  high  place  among  the  writers 
of  his  age.  The  book  which  most  of  all  redounded 
to  his  fame  was  his  "  History  of  the  World  ;"  upon 


224  RALEGH  : 

which  he  was  engaged  for  several  years.  Although 
this  history  was  never  finished,  it  is  still  read  with 
interest  and  profit,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  literary 
remains  of  the  period  at  which  it  was  written. 

Ralegh  also  wrote  essays  about  the  politics  of 
the  day,  a  book  on  the  invention  of  ships,  and  one 
on  the  art  of  naval  warfare.  Other  hours  he 
beguiled  by  describing  his  voyage  to  Guiana,  and 
describing  that  country  in  all  its  aspects.  Singu- 
larly enough,  instead  of  winning  King  James'  favor 
by  these  literary  works,  he  only  increased  his 
dislike.  The  king  thought  he  discovered  in  "The 
History  of  the  World  "  treasonable  doctrines  ;  and 
this  caused  him  to  resolve  more  firmly  than  ever 
that  Ralegh  should  remain  a  prisoner. 

All  this  while  Ralegh's  wife  lived  outside  the 
Tower  with  her  two  boys ;  and  it  was  seldom 
that  she  w^as  permitted  to  visit  her  husband's  cell. 
The  loss  of  Sherborne,  and  much  of  his  other 
property,  had  left  Ralegh  very  poor  ;  and  it  made 
his  heart  bleed  to  think  of  his  wife  living  in  cheap 
lodgings,  and  deprived  of  the  many  luxuries  to 
which  she  had  been  accustomed  from  childhood. 
Ralegh  begged,  in  vain,  that  his  family  might  be 
allowed  to  dwell  with  him  in  the  Tower,  as  they 


Kalkgh   in  Prison.      Piic;e  224. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  225 

had  formerly  done.  "  My  wife  being  now  divided 
from  me,"  he  wrote  piteously  to  a  friend,  "  I  am 
driven  to  keep  two  houses,  to  my  great  impoverish- 
ing. It  is  no  great  matter  to  desire  that  my  wife 
may  live  with  me  in  this  unsavory  place,  though  a 
cruel  destiny  has  made  it  so  to  me." 

For  years  one  of  Ralegh's  fellow-prisoners  in  the 
Tower  had  been  that  bright  young  Arabella  Stuart, 
with  whose  beauty  and  intelligence  he  had  once 
been  so  much  charmed,  and  in  whose  behalf  he 
had  been  accused  of  plotting  against  King  James. 
He  had  sometimes  seen  and  talked  with  her,  and  a 
warm  friendship  had  grown  up  between  them. 
Arabella  was  imprisoned  simply  because  she  was 
of  royal  blood,  and  because  a  few  rash  men  had 
plotted  to  put  her  on  the  throne.  She  lingered 
long  a  prisoner  in  the  gloomy  Tower.  At  last  her 
confinement  and  privations  undermined  her  health, 
and  one  morning,  in  the  autumn  of  1615,  Ralegh 
was  shocked  to  hear  that  this  cruelly  persecuted 
woman  had  died  in  her  cell.  His  thoughts  must 
have  reverted  to  the  day  long  before,  when  he  first 
saw  her,  radiant  in  her  girlhood,  at  Lord  Burleigh's 
house ;  and  of  all  the  stormy  and  tragic  events 
which  had  since  happened  to  them  both. 


226  RALEGH  : 

This  sad  occurrence  only  preceded  by  a  few 
months  Ralegh's  sudden  release  from  his  twelve 
years'  imprisonment  in  the  Tower,  —  an  event 
which,  at  the  time  of  Arabella's  death,  he  did  not 
in  the  least  foresee. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  22/ 


CHAPTER    XV. 

ralegh's  second  voyage. 

ROBERT  CARR,  the  young  Scotchman 
who  succeeded  in  winning  King  James's 
favor  after  Cecil's  death,  had  long  ruled 
the  royal  councils  with  absolute  will.  His  beauty, 
grace,  and  courtliness  of  bearing  had  completely 
won  the  king's  heart.  Besides  showering  upon 
this  new  favorite  ample  wealth  in  money  and 
broad  estates  (among  them  Ralegh's  manor  of 
Sherborne),  James  had  created  Carr  Earl  of  Som- 
erset. But  in  course  of  time,  Carr's  conduct  be- 
came so  arrogant,  and  his  acts  so  arbitrary,  that 
the  king  began  to  weary  of  him  ;  and  the  ruin  of 
the  favorite  was  completed  by  the  discovery  of  his 
having  murdered  a  knight  whom  he  thought  to  be 
in  his  way.  Carr  was  thrown  into  the  Tower,  and 
tried ;  and  though  he  was  pardoned,  he  never 
enjoyed  the  king's  favor  again. 

Meanwhile,   a    brilliant    young   cavalier   named 


228  RALEGH  : 

George  Villiers  won  King  James's  affection,  and 
not  long  after  Carr's  disgrace,  was  installed  in  his 
stead  as  the  royal  favorite.  It  was  this  event 
which  indirectly  brought  about  Ralegh's  release 
from  the  Tower.  Carr,  as  long  as  he  had  been  in 
power,  had  favored  a  friendship  of  England  with 
Spain.  But  Villiers  was  very  hostile  to  Spain, 
and  desired  the  English  influence,  on  the  other 
hand,  to  be  thrown  against  Spain,  and  in  favor  of 
the  Netherlands,  which  Spain  was  oppressing. 
Among  those  who  were  eager  advocates  of  this 
policy  v;as  a  generous  and  patriotic  statesman, 
named  Sir  Ralph  Winwood. 

It  happened  that  Winwood  and  Ralegh  had  long 
been  warm  friends.  Winwood  had  often  visited 
the  famous  prisoner  in  the  Tower,  and  had  talked 
much  with  him  about  the  politics  of  the  day,  and 
especially  about  Ralegh's  travels  in  Guiana.  He 
knew  that  Ralegh  was  now,  as  he  had  ever  been, 
the  inveterate  foe  of  Spain  ;  and  he  saw  that,  in 
the  struggle  which  was  now  going  on  at  the  Eng- 
lish court  between  the  partisans  of  the  Dutch  and 
those  of  Spain,  Ralegh  might  become  of  great  use 
to  the  former. 

Ralegh  impressed  Winwood  with  the  advantage 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  229 

which  England  would  acquire  over  the  Spaniards 
if  Guiana  could  be  conquered  and  colonized.  He 
dilated  upon  the  riches  of  the  South  American 
country,  and  spoke  especially  of  a  vast  gold  mine 
which  he  believed  to  exist  in  Guiana,  and  which 
would,  if  worked,  yield  great  wealth  to  the  English 
king.  Winwood  related  all  these  things  to  Villiers, 
the  new  favorite  ;  and  Villiers,  who  had  no  reason 
to  be  hostile  to  Ralegh,  at  once  caught  at  the  idea, 
and  lost  no  time  in  urging  King  James  to  set  Ra- 
legh at  liberty,  and  to  dispatch  him  once  more  to 
Guiana,  in  search  of  the  promised  treasures. 

King  James  had  become  very  much  inclined 
towards  Spain  under  Carr's  influence ;  and  there 
was  now  at  the  English  court  a  very  shrewd  and 
subtle  Spanish  statesman,  the  Count  of  Gondomar, 
who  was  exerting  himself  to  the  utmost  to  cherish 
the  king's  friendly  feeling  for  his  country.  But 
the  power  which  Villiers  had  obtained  over  the 
king's  mind  at  last  prevailed.  It  was  determined 
that  Ralegh  should  be  set  free,  on  condition  that 
he  w^ould  make  another  voyage  to  Guiana,  and,  if 
possible,  take  possession  of  the  country  in  the 
name  of  the  English  crown.  But  the  king  insisted 
that  he  should  on   no  account  do  anything,  while 


230  RALEGH  : 

on  his  expedition,  to  injure  Spain,  or  any  Spaniards 
whom  he  might  meet. 

Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  March  19,  1616, 
the  lieutenant  of  the  Tower  entered  Ralegh's  cell 
and  apprised  him  that  he  was  no  longer  a  prisoner. 
Ralegh's  heart  leaped  for  joy.  He  had  been  de- 
prived of  his  liberty  for  twelve  weary  years,  at  the 
most  vigorous  period  of  his  life,  and  he  was  glad 
enough  to  breathe  the  free  air  again  on  any  terms. 
He  had  entered  the  portals  of  the  Tower  a  hale 
and  stalwart  cavaliei-  of  fifty-two.  Now,  as  he  left 
it,  his  hair  and  beard  were  grizzled,  his  face  was 
worn  and  wrinkled,  his  body  was  somewhat  bent, 
and  his  features  were  grave  and  sorrowful.  With 
what  tearful  joy  he  clasped  to  his  breast  his  ever 
faithful  wife,  and  his  two  young  sons !  Indeed,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four,  his  brave  spirit  was  still  un- 
shaken ;  the  long  captivity  had  not  quenched  his 
ardent  and  restless  ambition.  He  went  forth  from 
his  prison  with  the  sentence  of  death  still  hanging 
over  his  head  ;  for  King  James,  although  he  had 
grudgingly  consented  to  his  release,  had  refused  to 
pardon  him.  But  Ralegh  kept  up  a  stout  heart, 
and  cheerily  set  to  work  upon  his  preparations  for 
the  coming  vo)age. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  23 1 

It  was  many  months,  however,  after  his  leaving 
the  Tower,  before  these  preparations  were  com- 
pleted. Every  obstacle  was  thrown  in  his  way  by 
the  Spanish  envoy,  the  vigilant  Count  of  Gondomar, 
who  exerted  all  his  resources  to  persuade  King 
James  to  withdraw  his  consent  to  the  expedition. 
It  was  not  so  easy,  moreover,  for  Ralegh  to  raise  the 
necessary  funds  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  new 
venture.  He  was  now  far  from  being  a  rich-  man. 
He  had  been  stripped  of  his  profitable  posts  and 
ofifices,  and  his  properties  in  Ireland  and  in  England 
had  melted  away.  But  what  little  was  left  him 
from  the  money  given  to  him  in  payment  for 
Sherborne,  he  freely  laid  out  on  his  fleet  ;  and  his 
devoted  wife  cheerfully  gave  up  an  estate  which 
she  had  saved  from  the  wreck  of  their  fortune,  to 
complete  the  equipment  of  the  vessels.  A  royal 
grant  was  also  wrung  from  the  king  by  Villiers. 

With  these  resources,  a  fleet  was  finally  got 
ready  in  the  Thames.  It  consisted  of  a  new  flag- 
ship, named  *'  The  Destiny,"  which  Ralegh  had 
caused  to  be  built  for  himself  ;  eleven  other  good 
sized  vessels,  two  fly-boats,  and  a  caravel.  Ralegh 
resolved  to  take  with  him  his  eldest  son,  Walter, 
now  a  fine  and  spirited  young  man  of  twenty-three  ; 


232  RALEGH : 

and  his  company  consisted  of  two  hundred  volun- 
teers, of  whom  sixty  were  gentlemen  of  rank  and 
education.  Among  this  company  were  quite  a 
number  of  Ralegh's  relatives,  eager  to  share  his 
perils  and  triumphs.  While  the  ships  lay  in  their 
docks  in  the  Thames,  a  great  many  people  visited 
them  with  much  curiosity.  Every  day  a  crowd 
gathered  on  the  wharves ;  and  among  these  spec- 
tators were  statesmen,  courtiers,  and  nobles,  as 
well  as  those  of  inferior  condition. 

Before  setting  sail,  Ralegh  issued  some  rules  by 
which  the  company  was  to  be  guided.  He  enjoined 
upon  them  that  each  day  must  be  opened  and  closed 
with  religious  services,  "  praising  God  every  night 
with  singing  of  a  psalm  at  the  setting  of  the  watch." 
Other  rules  compelled  the  men  to  take  certain 
precautions  to  preserve  their  health. 

It  was  on  an  April  day  in  161 7,  a  little  more  than 
a  year  after  his  release  from  the  Tower,  that  Ralegh, 
accompanied  by  his  son  Walter,  set  sail  down  the 
Thames  with  a  part  of  his  fleet.  The  rest  of  the 
ships  joined  him  at  Plymouth,  on  his  way  through 
the  Channel.  The  first  days  of  the  voyage  were 
very  unpropitious.  The  fleet  was  assailed  by  fierce 
tempests  ;  and  before  Ralegh  had  lost  sight  of  land. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  233 

one  of  his  vessels  sank  before  his  eyes,  and  two 
others  were  sadly  disabled.  He  found  it  necessary 
to  put  in  at  the  harbor  of  Cork,  and  to  await  the 
subsidence  of  the  storm.  Then  he  set  forth  again, 
and  now  made  his  way  without  disaster  to  the 
Canary  Islands.  Here  he  tarried  some  time,  taking 
in  water  and  provisions  ;  nor  did  he  get  away  from 
the  Canaries  before  his  sailors  had  had  some 
altercations  with  the  Spaniards  there.  One  of  his 
ships,  moreover,  deserted  him ;  and  sickness  broke 
out  among  the  crews.  Among  his  company,  as  it 
turned  out,  were  many  reckless  and  insubordinate 
adventurers  ;  and  it  was  no  easy  task  to  preserve 
discipline  on  board  the  ships,  and  to  prevent  the 
men  from  acting  violently  when  ashore.  To  add 
to  these  misfortunes,  the  fleet  was  again  and  again 
overwhelmed  by  pitiless  storms.  At  last  Ralegh 
himself  was  taken  ill  and  lay  in  his  berth  helpless 
and  in  danger  of  death  for  many  weary  days. 

As,  after  leaving  the  Canaries  and  the  Cape  de 
Verde  islands,  the  "  Destiny,"  followed  by  the  other 
ships,  ploughed  her  difficult  way  across  the  tem- 
pestuous Atlantic,  the  stout-hearted  commander 
lay  tossing  in  his  close  and  narrow  quarters,  burning 
with  fever,  and  stifling  for  want  of  air.     But  amid 


^34  RALEGH : 

all  his  pain,  he  never  lost  his  old-time  courage,  and 
never  once  gave  up  his  projects  in  despair.  Toward 
the  latter  part  of  the  voyage  he  was  able  to  sit  up 
on  deck,  attended  by  his  loving  son  and  devoted 
companions.  Wan  and  wasted,  he  gazed  yearningly 
toward  the  west,  hoping  daily  to  see  the  dim  outline 
of  the  coast  of  Trinidad  appear  in  the  horizon.  At 
last,  his  eager  longing  was  gratified.  There  was 
the  land,  like  a  cloud  rising  in  the  far  distance  ;  and 
in  no  long  time  the  fleet  was  anchored  securely  in 
the  same  bay  where,  twenty  years  before,  Ralegh 
had  greeted  the  new  continent.  Ralegh  was  still 
so  feeble,  however,  that  he  was  carried  on  shore  in 
a  chair. 

He  soon  recovered  health  in  the  thrilling  prospect 
before  him.  Many  of  his  fellow-voyagers  had  died 
on  the  way  ;  but  he  found  that  he  still  had  two 
hundred  men  to  accompany  him  into  the  interior. 
No  sooner  did  he  find  himself  well  again,  than  he 
wrote  to  his  wife  and  told  her  of  his  illness.  "  But 
God,"  he  reverently  added,  **  that  gave  me  a  strong 
heart  in  all  my  adversities,  hath  also  now  strength- 
ened it  in  the  hell-fire  of  heat." 

On  landing  on  the  main  coast,  Ralegh  was 
delighted  to  find  that  the  grateful  natives,  after  so 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  235 

long  a  time,  had  not  forgotten  him,  but  still  held 
his  name  in  cherished  affection.  They  crowded  the 
shores,  and  brought  a  large  quantity  of  provisions 
and  fruit  for  the  adventurers ;  and  showed  in  a 
hundred  ways  their  delight  at  Ralegh's  long  looked- 
for  return.  "  To  tell  you,"  he  wrote  to  his  wife, 
"that  I  might  be  here  king  of  the  Indians,  were 
a  vanity.  But  my  name  hath  lived  among  them  ; 
here  they  feed  me  with  fresh  meat,  and  all  that  the 
country  affords.     All  offer  to  obey  me." 

Ralegh's  first  step,  after  resting  and  refreshing 
his  company,  was  to  dispatch  several  reconnoi- 
tring parties,  in  five  small  ships,  up  the  Orinoco,  to 
search  for  the  great  mine  of  which  he  had  heard  so 
much,  and  which  he  had  gone  thither  to  find. 
These  ships  were  commanded  by  his  old  friend, 
Captain  Keymis,  young  Walter  Ralegh,  and  George 
Ralegh,  nephew  of  the  admiral.  These  companies 
had  not  gone  far,  however,  when  they  came  upon  a 
new  town  named  St.  Thomas,  which  had  recently 
been  built  by  the  Spaniards  on  the  river  bank.  An 
Indian  had  warned  the  Spaniards  who  lived  thereof 
the  approach  of  the  £ngHsh  ;  and  no  sooner  had 
Keymis  and  his  comrades  moored  their  boats  near 
the  town,  and    begun  to  land,  than    the    Spanish 


236  RALEGH  : 

settlers  poured  a  volley  of  musketry  upon  them 
from  an  ambush.  The  English  retired  to  their 
boats  in  disorder.  Ralegh  had  warned  them,  before 
parting  from  them,  by  no  means  to  inflict  any 
injury  on  the  Spaniards  they  might  encounter.  But 
now  the  Spaniards  had  attacked  them  first ;  and 
Keymis,  young  Ralegh,  and  the  other  leaders  were 
resolved  that,  in  spite  of  the  admiral's  orders,  the 
Spaniards  should  be  punished  for  their  unprovoked 
assault. 

The  next  morning,  therefore,  the  adventurers 
fiercely  attacked  St.  Thomas.  It  contained  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dwellings,  which  were  mostly 
rude  huts.  It  was  defended  by  rude  palisades,  and 
in  its  centre  was  a  small  open  square,  upon  which 
stood  a  church  and  a  convent.  The  English,  being 
more  numerous  than  the  Spaniards,  soon  succeeded 
in  entering  the  town  ;  and  then  there  ensued  a 
bitter  and  bloody  struggle.  The  assailants,  under 
Keymis  and  young  Walter  Ralegh,  fought  their 
way  step  by  step  towards  the  little  square.  The 
narrow  street  was  soon  choked  up  with  the  bodies 
of  the  killed  and  wounded. 

Just  as  the  conflict  was  raging  most  hotly,  young 
Ralegh   staggered   and   fell.     He   had   received  a 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  23/ 

severe  wound.  But  he  soon  sprang  to  his  feet 
again,  and  waving  his  sword,  with  a  clear  voice 
urged  his  men  on.  Scarcely  had  he  gone  a  yard 
further,  when  a  blow  from  a  Spanish  musket  once 
more  felled  the  valiant  youth  to  the  earth.  This 
time  he  was  fatally  wounded.  He  gasped  and 
struggled  on  the  ground,  and  raising  himself  for  an 
instant  on  his  elbow,  he  cried,  in  a  choking  voice, 
"  Go  on.  May  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon  me,  and 
prosper  you  ! " 

Thus  died,  fighting  with  impetuous  valor,  and  in 
the  flower  of  his  sturdy  youth,  Ralegh's  eldest  son 
and  brightest  hope.  While  the  battle  raged  on,  a 
few  devoted  adherents  tenderly  raised  young  Wal- 
ter, and  carried  him  to  the  rear.  Ere  long,  the  square 
had  been  taken,  and  the  Spaniards  had  fled  into 
the  huts,  firing  thence  upon  their  foes.  From 
the  huts  they  were  soon  driven  into  the  forest,  and 
the  English  found  themselves  in  complete  posses- 
sion of  the  town.  The  next  morning,  a  sad  and 
solemn  procession  of  the  English  soldiers,  with 
reversed  arms,  drooping  flags,  and  muffled  drums, 
slowly  proceeded  across  the  square  to  the  humble 
church  which  stood  upon  it.  Borne  in  their  midst 
was   the   lifeless    body   of   young  Walter^  Ralegh, 


238  RALEGH  : 

He  was  laid,  with  many  sobs  and  tears,  in  a  grave 
near  the  high  altar  of  the  church. 

That  same  day,  two  more  of  Ralegh's  vessels 
reached  them  from  Trinidad,  bringing  a  reinforce- 
ment of  men.  At  the  same  time,  the  terrible  news 
of  his  son's  sudden  death  was  sent  to  the  bereaved 
father.  Keymis,  now  the  superior  officer,  lost  no 
time  in  going  with  two  launches  up  the  Orinoco, 
m  search  of  the  reputed  mine ;  but  this  expedition 
met  with  nothing  but  disaster.  An  ambuscade  of 
Spaniards  and  Indians,  some  distance  up  the  river, 
so  suddenly  and  fiercely  assailed  the  first  launch, 
that  nine  of  the  men  were  killed  or  wounded  in  a 
few  moments.  This  reverse  so  dismayed  Keymis, 
that  he  returned  with  downcast  heart  to  St. 
Thomas.  George  Ralegh's  ambition  was  now 
aroused,  and  he  resolved  to  try  to  succeed  where 
the  gallant  old  Keymis  had  failed.  He  selected  a 
force  of  picked  men,  and  himself  ascended  the 
Orinoco  some  three  hundred  miles.  But  he  had 
no  better  fortune  than  Keymis  in  searching  for  the 
mine ;  while  day  by  day  he  lost  some  of  his  com- 
rades by  the  attacks  of  Spaniards  and  natives,  and 
by  the  pestilence  which  spread  among  them. 

In    no   long    time    George    Ralegh   returned  in 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  239 

despair  to  St.  Thomas,  with  the  sad  remnant  of 
his  force.  The  English  who  had  remained  in  the 
town  had  also  suffered  from  the  assaults  of  the 
enerqy,  hunger,  and  disease.  Scarcely  half  of  the 
men  whom  Ralegh  had  sent  forward  from  Trinidad 
still  survived.  Perils  increased  every  hour.  It 
was  evident  to  Keymis  that  he  could  not  much 
longer  hold  St.  Thomas.  The  only  thing  left  to 
do  was  to  return  sorrowfully  down  the  Orinoco  to 
the  fleet.  Setting  fire  to  the  town,  and  carrying 
off  every  article  of  value  which  they  found  there, 
the  disheartened  company  boarded  their  boats,  and 
in  a  few  days  had  rejoined  their  fellow-adventurei's 
on  the  coast. 

Keymis  found  Ralegh  still  feeble  from  his  long 
illness,  and  overwhelmed  with  grief  at  the  death 
of  his  gallant  and  beloved  son.  With  tearful  eyes, 
Keymis  told  his  chief  the  sad  story  of  this  event 
in  all  its  particulars,  and  added  the  account  of  his 
own  failure  to  find  the  so  ardently  wished-for  mine. 
In  his  irritation  and  disappointment,  Ralegh  an- 
grily upbraided  his  old  comrade  for  not  pursuing 
his  search  further ;  and  told  him,  in  a  stern  voice, 
that  he  should  answer  for  his  failure  to  the  king. 

Poor  Keymis  was  completely  overwhelmed  by  the 


240  RALEGH  : 

weight  of  the  misery  caused  by  his  commander's 
reproofs.  He  shut  himself  up  in  his  cabin,  and 
wrote  a  long  letter,  accounting  for  his  failure,  and 
giving  all  the  excuses  he  could  for  it.  This  letter 
he  brought  and  read  to  Ralegh,  and  asked  him  to 
approve  and  support  it.  For  once,  Ralegh  was 
hard-hearted.  He  coldly  refused  Keymis's  eager 
request. 

"  Is  that  your  resolution  ? "  asked  the  old  voy- 
ager, with  trembling  voice. 

"  It  is,"  responded  Ralegh,  sternly. 

"  I  know,  then,  sir,"  was  the  sad  reply,  "  what 
':x)urse  to  take." 

Ralegh  too  soon  learned  what  Keymis  meant. 

In  a  few  moments,  Ralegh  heard  a  pistol-shot  on 
the  vessel.  He  told  a  boy  to  go  and  see  what  it 
meant.  The  boy  soon  came  back,  and  said  that 
Keymis,  who  was  in  his  cabin,  had  called  out,  "  I 
have  fired  the  pistol  because  it  has  been  too  long 
charged."  Soon  after,  the  boy  went  again  to  Key- 
mis's cabin,  and  on  opening  the  door,  found  the 
brave  old  man  lying  dead  on  the  floor.  Failing  to 
kill  himself  with  the  pistol,  he  had  stabbed  him- 
self to  the  heart.  He  preferred  death  to  disgrace, 
and  to  the  reproaches  of  the  commander  whom  he 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  24I 

loved.  Ralegh's  remorse  at  having  so  severely 
reproved  his  faithful  comrade  knew  no  bounds  ;  it 
added  all  the  greater  gloom  to  his  already  broken 
heart. 

Other  troubles  hastened  Ralegh's  decision  to 
return  home  without  making  any  further  effort  to 
discover  the  great  mine.  It  was  now  evident  to 
him  that  the  Spanish  king  had  sent  word  to  the 
Spaniards  in  Guiana  to  attack  him,  and  prevent  his 
obtaining  possession  of  the  country.  He  knew 
that  they  were  much  more  numerous  than  his  own 
force,  and  that  another  expedition  up  the  Orinoco 
would  probably  end,  as  the  others  had  done,  in 
wretched  failure.  Besides,  his  men  had  now  be- 
come thoroughly  disheartened,  and  were  clamor- 
ing angrily  to  go  back  to  England.  He  found  it 
impossible  to  keep  discipline  on  board  the  ships. 
Reluctant  as  he  was  to  go  back  without  achieving 
his  object  and  fulfilling  his  promise  to  the  king,  he 
saw  that  there  was  no  alternative.  While  he  was 
hesitating,  moreover,  two  of  his  vessels  deserted 
the  fleet,  and  sailed  away  across  the  Atlantic. 
This  misfortune  seems  to  have  at  last  settled  his 
purpose  to  return.  Old  and  ill,  bereft  of  that  son 
who  had  been  the  pride  and  joy  of  his  later  years, 


242  '  RALEGH  : 

saddened  by  the  suicide  of  Keymis,  harassed  by 
his  discontented  company,  and  forced  to  carry 
home  the  news  of  a  terrible  failure,  Ralegh  set  sail 
for  home  in  March,  1618.  It  was  not  without  the 
darkest  forebodings  that  he  slowly  approached  his 
native  shores.  He  knew  that  watchful  and  trium- 
phant enemies  would  gloat  over  his  ignominious 
return,  and  would  make  the  most  of  his  misfor- 
tunes. These  forebodings  were  only  too  soon  to 
be  realized. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  243 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
ralegh's  return. 

ISASTER  followed  Ralegh  all  the  way 
across  the  Atlantic.  The  voyage  was 
pursued  during  the  stormy  season,  and 
tempest  after  tempest  broke  upon  the  little  fleet. 
In  mid-ocean,  a  storm  of  such  terrific  force  struck 
the  ships,  that  they  were  scattered,  and  each  was 
forced  to  make  its  way  alone  towards  the  English 
coast.  Several  of  the  vessels  were  so  badly  dam- 
aged, that  it  was  with  infinite  difficulty  that  they 
could  proceed  on  their  way.  Ralegh's  ship,  the 
"  Destiny,"  fortunately  escaped  serious  injury,  al- 
though she  did  not  reach  England  as  soon  as  did 
one  or  two  of  her  sister  vessels. 

It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  June  that  the  old 
hero  was  relieved  by  seeing  the  dim  cliffs  of  Devon 
rising  in  the  horizon.  He  made  straight  for  Plym- 
outh, and  moored  the  "  Destiny "  in  that  familiar 
harbor. 


244  RALEGH  : 

No  sooner  had  Ralegh  landed  than  he  was  ap- 
prised by  some  of  his  devoted  friends,  who  had 
hastened  to  welcome  him  home,  of  news  which 
startled  and  amazed  him,  and  which  seemed  the 
crowning  blow  to  his  previous  crushing  misfor- 
tunes. Each  of  the  captains  of  his  fleet,  as  they 
had  reached  harbor,  had  been  arrested  and  impris- 
oned, and  the  ships  Jthemselves  had  been  seized  by 
order  of  the  king. 

Many  events  of  grave  moment  to  Ralegh  had 
happened  during  his  absence.  The  Count  of  Gon- 
domar,  the  Spanish  envoy,  had  continued  to  use 
every  effort  to  excite  the  king's  mind  against  him. 
Several  of  the  vessels  in  Ralegh's  fleet  had  re- 
turned to  England  in  May,  and  had  brought  the 
intelligence  of  the  fights  between  the  English  and 
the  Spaniards  on  the  Orinoco,  of  the  capture  of 
St.  Thomas,  and  of  its  sacking  and  burning. 
Gondomar  had  eagerly  caught  at  this  news  to  de- 
nounce Ralegh  to  King  James  as  a  pirate  and  a 
traitor.  He  reminded  the  king  that  Ralegh  had 
been  commanded  in  no  way  to  injure  the  Spaniards 
in  South  America,  and  that  Ralegh  had  solemnly 
promised  to  obey. 

Another  circumstance  had  yet  more  influenced 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  245 

the  king  in  favor  of  the  Spaniards,  and  therefore 
against  Ralegh,  who  was  Spain's  irreconcilable 
enemy.  Prince  Charles  was  now  the  king's  eldest 
son,  and  the  heir  to  the  crown  ;  the  same  Charles 
who  was  destined  afterwards  to  become  king,  and 
to  suffer  death  on  the  scaffold.  Gondomar  cun- 
ningly proposed  that  a  marriage  should  be  arranged 
between  Prince  Charles  and  the  second  daughter 
of  the  Spanish  king.  He  promised  a  brilliant 
dowry  with  the  young  princess,  and  the  close  alli- 
ance and  friendship  of  Spain  in  England's  future 
career. 

This  proposal  at  once  attracted  King  James,  and 
he  entered  into  the  plan  of  the  marriage  with  great 
earnestness.  Villiers,  the  favorite,  who  had  be- 
come Marquis  of  Buckingham,  also  strongly  ap- 
proved of  it.  But  Gondomar  made  it  appear  that, 
unless  Ralegh  were  punished  for  his  treatment  of 
the  Spaniards  on  the  Orinoco,  the  marriage  would 
not  suit  the  dignity  of  the  King  of  Spain.  The 
negotiations  about  this  marriage  were  at  their 
height,  when  Ralegh  sailed  into  Plymouth  harbor. 

It  was  not  long  after  Ralegh's  arrival,  that  he 
war  once  more  clasped  in  his  wife's  loving  arms. 
On    hearing    that    the    ^'Destiny"    had    returned, 


246  RALEGH : 

she  hurried  down  to  Plymouth.  The  joy  of  meet- 
ing, after  so  long  and  painful  a  separation,  was 
checked  by  the  afflictions  through  which  Ralegh 
had  passed,  and  scarcely  less  by  the  dark  out- 
look which  lay  before  him.  His  wife  told  him  in 
broken  tones  what  his  enemies  were  saying  and 
doing  against  him,  and  he  could  not  but  foresee 
that  his  misfortunes  had  not  yet  reached  their  end. 

After  remaining  a  week  or  two  at  Plymouth,  to 
settle  up  the  affairs  of  his  fleet,  Ralegh  and  his 
wife  set  out  together  for  London.  He  was  resolved 
to  face  his  enemies,  and  learn  his  fate.  He  never 
once  thought  of  shrinking  from  the  ordeal  before 
him.  As,  one  afternoon,  he  was  approaching  the 
village  of  Ashburton,  he  saw  a  cavalcade  ap- 
proaching. Presently  he  recognized,  at  the  head 
of  the  horsemen,  his  relative,  Sir  Lewis  Stukeley, 
the  vice-admiral  of  Devon.  Stukeley  came  up  to 
Ralegh,  and  saluting  him  with  a  bow,  said,  — 

'•  Sir  Walter,  I  have  the  king's  orders  to  arrest 
both  you  and  your  ships." 

Ralegh  heard  this  with  a  calm  countenance,  and 
gave  himself  up  to  Stukeley's  custody.  He  was 
escorted  by  Stukeley's  retinue  back  to  Plymouth, 
followed    by   his  grief-stricken   wife.     Ralegh   was 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  24/ 

lodged  in  the  house  of  Sir  Christopher  Harris,  and 
remained  there  while  Stukeley  examined  the  fleet, 
in  the  hope  of  seizing  its  cargo,  and  himself  get- 
ting possession  of  it.  During  these  weary  days, 
Ralegh's  wife  never  ceased  her  entreaties  to  him 
to  try  to  escape.  In  these  she  was  seconded  by  a 
faithful  old  family  servant,  who  had  accompanied 
her  when  she  went  to  meet  her  husband  on  his 
return. 

Perplexed  and  wearied,  Ralegh,  in  a  thoughtless 
moment,  yielded  to  these  repeated  and  touching 
appeals.  He  asked  Captain  King,  one  of  his 
friends,  to  procure  a  boat  to  take  him  to  France. 
Captain  King  succeeded  in  getting  one,  and  had  it 
anchored  out  in  the  harbor,  beyond  the  range  of 
the  guns  in  the  fort.  Very  late  one  night,  Ralegh 
slipped  out  of  the  house,  and  was  soon  seated  in 
the  boat  with  his  faithful  friend.  A  French  ship 
lay  at  some  distance  in  the  channel.  The  boat- 
men vigorously  plied  their  oars,  and  the  boat  was 
soon  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  vessel. 
Safety  was  now  within  Ralegh's  reach.  In  a  few 
minutes  he  might  defy  the  worst  plans  of  his  ene- 
mies. Freedom  would  be  his,  in  a  land  where  he 
would  surely  be  protected. 


248  RALEGH  : 

But  at  this  last  moment,  he  bravely  and  sternly 
changed  his  mind.  To  fly  was  cowardice  and  dis- 
honor. His  name  and  fame,  more  precious  to  him 
than  life,  were  at  stake.  In  a  resolute  voice,  he 
commanded  the  boatmen  to  turn  and  row  back  to 
the  harbor  again.  Captain  King's  protests  fell  on 
deaf  ears.  Ralegh  repeated  his  command.  The 
boat  swung  around,  and  Ralegh  was  soon  ashore 
again,  and  returned  to  Harris's  house,  to  await  his 
jailer's  movements. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  courageous  act  of  self- 
devotion,  that  Stukeley  was  ordered  by  the  king's 
council  to  lose  no  more  time  in  bringing  Ralegh  to 
London.  Stukeley  made  haste  to  sell  out  as  much 
of  the  cargo  of  Ralegh's  fleet  as  he  had  been  able 
to  lay  his  avaricious  hands  on,  and  to  prepare  for 
departure  to  the  capital.  On  the  25th  of  July,  he 
set  out  with  his  prisoner,  who  was  still  accompa- 
nied by  his  ever-devoted  wife.  On  the  way,  Ra- 
legh's health  gave  way,  and  the  cavalcade  was 
obliged  to  go  by  slow  stages.  It  then  occurred  to 
Stukeley  to  do  a  perfidious  thing.  He  had  with 
him  a  French  doctor,  whom  he  ordered  to  prescribe 
for  Ralegh.  At  the  same  time,  he  bribed  the  doc- 
tor  to  play  the   spy  upon   the  prisoner.     Ralegh, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  249 

who  liked  and  trusted  Frenchmen,  at  once  fell  into 
the  trap  set  by  his  mean  and  treacherous  cousin. 
He  talked  freely  with  the  doctor,  who  repeated  all 
that  he  said  to  Stukeley.  Captain  King,  who  was 
also  in  the  party,  made  a  confidant  of  the  French- 
man, and  conversed  freely  with  him  about  Ralegh's 
chances  of  escaping  to  France.  All  this  was  re- 
peated to  Ralegh's  enemies. 

As    the   cavalcade    advanced,  it  happened    that 
they  passed  within  full  sight  of  Ralegh's  old  and 
beautiful  domain  of  Sherborne.     In  all  his  travels 
and  vicissitudes,  the  old  cavalier  had  never  given  up 
the  hope  of  one  day  again  becoming  its  possessor. 
That    hope    seemed    now   forever    vanished.       He 
looked   with   longing  and    sorrowful    eyes    on  the 
spacious  park,  the  long  reaches  of  luxuriant  lawn, 
and  the  towers  of  the   house,  peeping  above  the 
trees.     That    night   was    spent   at   a   manor-house 
near  Sherborne,  and  when  Ralegh's  old    servants 
heard  that  he  was  in. the  neighborhood,  they  flocked 
about  the  mansion  where  he  was  staying,  hoping 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their  former  beloved  master. 
The  cavalcade  set  out  early  the  next  morning,  on 
its  way  to  Salisbury.     After  riding  an  hour  or  two 
Ralegh    dismounted    and  walked    along    the  road. 


250  RALEGH  : 

The  French  doctor,  whose  name  was  Manourie, 
walked  by  his  side.  Ralegh  seized  this  opportunity 
to  carry  out  a  project  which  he  had  just  been  re- 
volving in  his  mind.  He  saw  but  too  clearly  that 
he  was  about  to  be  kept  a  close  prisoner  and  that  he 
would  perhaps  suffer  death.  Above  all  things,  he 
cherished  his  good  name  and  his  fame.  He  was 
unwilling  that  the  story  of  his  last  Guiana  expe- 
dition should  go  down  to  posterity  as  told  by  his 
bitter  enemies.  He  therefore  resolved  that  he 
would  himself  write  it  out,  and  leave  his  narrative 
in  such  a  manner  that  it  would  surely  reach  the 
public  eye. 

He  was  being  hurried  as  fast  as  possible  to 
London.  His  object  was  to  procure  a  delay  of  two 
or  three  days  on  the  journey,  that  he  might  have 
time  to  write  his  account  before  being  shut  up  and 
jealously  guarded  in  the  Tower.  So  now,  as  he 
walked  along  with  Manourie,  he  persuaded  the 
doctor  to  aid  him  in  his  design,  by  giving  him  an 
emetic.  If  he  could  feign  illness,  and  if  Manourie 
would  declare  that  he  was  unfit  to  proceed  on  the 
journey,  he  would  gain  the  delay  he  so  much 
wished  for. 

The  plan  succeeded  perfectly.     Ralegh  became, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  2$l 

apparently,  very  ill.  On  reaching  Salisbury,  he 
staggered  and  fell  against  a  post.  On  being  carried 
to  his  chamber,  Manourie  declared  that  he  would  be 
unfit,  for  several  days,  to  proceed  on  his  way. 
Thus  Ralegh  obtained  the  opportunity  to  write  his 
narrative,  and  to  make  a  complete  defence  of  his 
conduct  in  Guiana. 

It  happened  that  King  James  was  at  this  time 
on  one  of  his  progresses  ;  and  was  on  the  point  of 
arriving  at  Salisbury.  Scarcely,  therefore,  had 
Ralegh  completed  his  writing,  when  Stukeley  hur- 
riedly ordered  the  cavalcade  to  set  out  again.  He 
was  afraid  lest  Ralegh  should  get  access  to  the 
king,  and  try  to  secure  his  release  ;  he  suspected, 
too,  that  the  king  would  be  annoyed  to  find  the 
prisoner  there  when  he  came.  As  the  party  passed 
along  through  different  towns,  crowds  came  out  to 
see  the  famous  captive ;  and  he  received  many 
marks  of  the  affection  of  the  people,  and  of  their 
grief  at  his  misfortunes. 

Ralegh's  fate  now  seemed  so  certain  to  be  a 
speedy  death  at  the  hands  of  the  headsman,  that 
his  faithful  friend.  Captain  King,  and  his  devoted 
wife,  renewed  their  supplications  to  him  to  endeavor 
to  make  his  escape  once  more  ;  and  so  desperate 


252  RALEGH  : 

seemed  his  situation,  that  Ralegh  was  at  last  induced 
to  lend  his  ear  to  these  urgent  appeals.  An  event 
which  soon  occurred  rather  confirmed  this  incUna- 
tion.  When  the  party  reached  Brentford,  not  far 
from  London,  an  agent  of  the  French  envoy  man- 
aged to  speak  unobserved  to  Ralegh.  He  told  him 
that  the  French  were  his  friends  and  were  anxious 
to  aid  him  in  escaping.  Ralegh  was  advised  to 
bide  his  time,  and  a  chance  of  regaining  his  freedom 
might  soon  occur. 

On  reaching  London,  Stukeley,  instead  of  carry- 
ing his  prisoner  at  once  to  the  Tower,  proceeded  to 
Ralegh's  own  house  in  Broad  Street.  There 
Stukeley  took  up  his  quarters,  and  to  Ralegh's 
surprise,  gave  him  a  great  deal  of  liberty  of  action. 
Ralegh  was  allowed  to  have  his  own  servants  about 
him,  and  to  retain  in  the  house  his  ever  faithful 
friend,  Captain  King.  His  old  friends  came  to  see 
him,  and  thought  that  he  was  really  a  free  man. 
But  all  the  while,  Stukeley  kept  a  keen  and  sleep- 
less watch  upon  his  prisoner. 

The  more  Ralegh  reflected  on  his  position,  the 
more  firmly  convinced  he  became  that  his  only 
hope  lay  in  a  successful  escape.  He  soon  learned 
that  the  French  envoy  had  arranged  to  get   him 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  253 

away,  and  had  secured  a  barque  for  the  purpose. 
Meanwhile  Captain  King  had  been  busy,  and  had 
found  a  small  boat,  commanded  by  one  of  his  old 
boatswains.  This  boat  lay  at  Tilbury  awaiting 
King's  orders.  Ralegh  was  still  further  encouraged 
by  Stukeley's  conduct.  The  perfidious  man  now 
pretended  to  be  Ralegh's  friend,  and  to  be  willing  to 
help  him  escape.  Ralegh  promised  him  a  large 
sum  of  money  if  he  would  do  so,  and  Stukeley  with 
feigned  eagerness  yielded  to  the  bribe. 

It  only  remained  to  complete  the  preparations 
for  the  escape.  This  was  appointed  for  the  even- 
ing of  Sunday,  August  9th,  161 8.  Hart,  the  boat- 
swain in  command  of  the  boat  which  King:  had 
secured,  was  ordered  to  moor  it  at  Gravesend.  At 
the  designated  hour  Ralegh,  King,  Stukeley  and  his 
son.  Hart,  and  a  page  got  into  two  small  wherries  to 
go  to  the  boat.  They  had  just  launched  into  the 
stream,  when  Ralegh  saw  another  boat  push  out 
from  the  bank  and  follow  them.  He  called 
Stukeley's  attention  to  this,  but  only  received  an 
impatient  oath  in  response. 

The  faster  the  men  rowed,  the  more  rapid  be- 
came the  movements  of  the  plirsuing  craft.  The 
tide  was  going  out,  and  it  became  doubtful  whether 


254  RALEGH  : 

the  boats  could  reach  Gravesend  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  darkness.  At  last,  in  despair,  the 
wherries  were  forced  to  turn  and  retrace  their 
passage.  The  pursuing  boat  instantly  turned  also. 
When  the  wherries  reached  Greenwich,  Stukeley, 
who  had  been  loudly  professing  his  affection  and 
fidelity  to  Ralegh,  stood  up  and  appeared  in  his  true 
colors.  Laying  a  hand  on  Captain  King's  shoulder, 
and  with  a  deep  frown  on  his  face,  he  cried,  — 

"  I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  king." 

Ralegh  looked  around  in  angry  surprise.  He 
perceived  that  Stukeley  had  basely  betrayed  him  ; 
and  it  was  not  long  before  Hart,  the  boatswain, 
showed  that  he,  too,  had  been  bribed  to  be  false. 

"  Sir  Lewis,"  said  Ralegh  to  Stukeley,  sternly 
shaking  his  head,  "  these  actions  will  not  turn  out 
to  your  credit." 

No  wonder  the  people  of  that  time  learned  to 
call  this  traitor  "  Sir  Judas  Stukeley."  He  ordered 
the  boatmen  to  row  directly  to  the  Tower,  which 
was  but  a  short  distance  away  ;  and  the  boat  which 
had  pursued  the  wherries,  and  which  contained  a 
courtier  named  Herbert,  to  w^hom  Stukeley  had 
betrayed  the  projetted  escape,  escorted  them  to 
the  grim  old  prison. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  255 

Arrived  at  the  water-gates  of  the  Tower,  Ralegh 
parted  with  much  emotion  from  his  faithful  adherent, 
Captain  King.  Warmly  embracing  him,  Ralegh 
said  in  sorrowful  tones,  — 

"  You  need  be  in  no  fear  of  danger.  It  is  I  only 
that  am  the  mark  shot  at." 

Ralegh  was  now  led  into  the  Tower  by  his  per- 
fidious keeper,  and  delivered  to  the  lieutenant ;  and 
soon  found  himself  once  more  confined  in  a  low, 
dark  cell,  within  those  dreary  walls  where  he  had 
already  spent  twelve  long  years  of  his  life. 

The  traitors,  Stukeley  and  Manourie,  received  in 
due  time  the  reward  of  their  treachery.  The  French 
doctor  only  got  twenty  pounds.  Stukeley  received 
a  thousand.  But  the  latter  lived  to  be  universally 
despised  and  neglected,  and  finally  died  a  wretched 
and  disgraceful  death. 

About  a  week  after  Ralegh's  return  to  the  Tower, 
his  wife,  who  was  living  in  great  sorrow  at  their 
house  in  Broad  street,  was  also  arrested,  and  taken 
to  the  house  of  a  certain  London  merchant,  who 
was  appointed  her  jailer.  It  was  feared  that  she 
might  in  some  way  effect  her  husband's  escape. 
Nor  was  this  the  only  indignity  which  was  visited 
upon  her ;  for  her  furniture,  and  even  her  household 


256  RALEGH : 

linen,  were  seized,  and  she  was  forbidden  their  use. 
All  these  proceedings  only  showed  too  dearly  that 
the  hostility  of  the  king  and  his  court  to  Ralegh 
was  implacable,  and  would  only  be  coiit^it  with 
the  shedding  of  his  blood. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  257 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE     FINAL     SCENE. 

ALEGH'S  enemies  had  at  last  succeeded 
in  their  combined  efforts  to  destroy  him. 
Once  more  a  prisoner,  the  outlook  before 
him  was  quite  hopeless.  The  king  had  always 
believed  Ralegh  to  be  disloyal  to  him  at  heart. 
Besides,  James  was  at  this  time  slavishly  submissive 
to  the  influence  of  the  King  of  Spain ;  and  that 
monarch  recognized  in  Ralegh  a  relentless,  and,  it 
might  be,  powerful  enemy.  One  sturdy  friend 
Ralegh  had  long  had  at  court.  This  was  the 
queen,  Anne  of  Denmark ;  and  now,  at  the  last 
moment,  she  exerted  all  her  efforts  to  procure  his 
pardon  and  release. 

But  Queen  Anne's  influence  over  her  husband's 
mind  had  long  since  vanished  ;  and  she  could  not 
hope  to  p'revail  against  so  many  formidable  foes  as 
now  rose  up  to  hurry  Ralegh  on  to  his  death.     King 


258  RALEGH  : 

James  was  so  firmly  resolved  to  please  the  Span- 
iards, that  he  offered  to  send  Ralegh  to  Spain,  to 
be  there  tried  and  executed,  if  the  King  of  Spain 
so  wished.  But  the  latter  preferred  that  King 
James  should  do  the  bloody  work  himself. 

After  some  delay,  Ralegh  was  subjected  to  a  kind 
of  examination  before  the  Royal  Council,  and  he 
then  learned  upon  what  charges  it  was  intended  to 
convict  him.  He  was  accused  of  being  disloyal, 
and  a  secret  enemy  of  the  king  ;  and  of  having  made 
treasonable  remarks  about  him.  Ralegh  replied 
that  he  had  once  said,  "  My  confidence  in  the  king 
is  deceived;"  but  that,  besides  this  remark,  he  had 
never  uttered  a  disrespectful  word  about  James. 
He  was  next  accused  of  going  to  Guiana  on  the 
pretence  of  finding  a  rich  mine,  but  without 
really  ever  intending  to  seek  for  it ;  and  also  of 
having  caused  the  massacre  of  Spaniards  there. 
His  refutation  of  these  charges  was  complete,  but 
he  spoke  to  deaf  ears. 

On  being  remanded  to  the  Tower,  Ralegh  was 
subjected  to  another  indignity.  A  creature  of  the 
court,  named  Wilson,  was  set  to  watching  him  as 
a  spy.  Wilson  was  ordered  to  report  all  that  Ra- 
legh said  in  unguarded  moments  ;    and   he  used 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  259 

every  cunning  device  to  induce  Ralegh  to  say 
something  which  might  be  used  against  him.  He 
told  Ralegh  that  if  he  would  disclose  all  he  knew, 
he  would  receive  the  king's  pardon.  Wilson  de- 
scended to  the  meanness  of  opening  and  reading 
the  letters  which  passed  between  Ralegh  and  his 
sorrow-stricken  wife.  Shortly  after,  Lady  Ralegh 
was  herself  brought  to  the  Tower  ;  but  she  was 
speedily  released  again. 

Among  Ralegh's  earliest  and  most  affectionate 
friends  was  the  famous  Lord  Bacon.  This  great 
man  had  at  last  attained  the  summit  of  his  ambi- 
tion, and  was  now  Lord  High  Chancellor.  In 
Bacon,  at  least,  Ralegh  hoped  to  find  a  brave  and 
eloquent  defender.  But  if  he  had  called  to  mind 
how  Bacon,  who  owed  his  rise  to  the  Earl  of 
Essex,  had  turned  on  that  generous  benefactor  in 
his  day  of  trouble,  and  had  been  his  most  virulent 
assailant,  such  a  hope  should  have  been  banished 
from  Ralegh's  heart.  Bacon  now  appeared  as 
Ralegh's  foremost  accuser.  He  cudgelled  his 
subtle  brain  for  a  legal  way  to  secure  Ralegh's 
condemnation  to  death,  and  reported  to  the  king 
the  result  of  his  deliberation.  Bacon  decided  that 
Ralegh  might  be  executed  under  his  conviction  for 


26o  RALEGH  : 

treason  fifteen  years  before,  but  advised  the  king 
to  bring  him  to  trial  in  the  court  of  the  King's 
Bench.  The  judges  would  declare  Ralegh  amena- 
ble to  death  because  of  the  old  and  almost  for- 
gotten offence. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  October  28,  161 8,  that 
Ralegh  was  summoned  by  his  jailer  to  proceed  to 
his  trial.  The  prisoner  was  ill,  but  was  forced  to 
rise  as  best  he  could,  and  appear  before  the  judges. 

As,  walking  feebly  and  half  supported  by  an 
attendant,  he  was  walking  through  the  corridor,  a 
faithful  old  domestic  of  his,  who  clung  to  him 
more  eagerly  than  ever  in  his  misfortunes,  was 
standing  there  to  see  him  pass.  Addressing 
Ralegh,  he  said  to  him  that  his  head  had  not 
been  combed. 

"  Let  those  comb  it,"  replied  Ralegh,  with  a  sad 
smile,  *'  who  are  to  have  it."  Then,  after  a  mo- 
ment's pause,  he  added,  "  Dost  thou  know,  Peter, 
of  any  plaster  that  will  set  a  man's  head  on  again, 
after  it  is  off .''  " 

Taken  hastily  to  Westminster,  Ralegh  soon  found 
himself  confronting  the  judges,  who  sat  on  their 
bench  in  their  wigs  and  long  robes,  glowering  sternly 
upon  him.    'He  was  not  permitted  even  the  pre- 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  261 

tence  of  a  regular  trial.  The  judges  began  at 
once  to  ask  him  a  series  of  questions,  and  each 
time  that  he  tried  to  respond,  they  gruffly  contra- 
dicted him.  The  old  conviction  of  high  treason 
was  brought  up  against  him,  and  he  was  asked 
what  he  had  to  say  in    reply. 

"  All  I  can  say,"  replied  Ralegh,  ''  is  this.  The 
judgment  I  received  to  die,  so  long  since,  will  not, 
I  hope,  be  strained.  I  undertook  a  voyage  to  do 
honor  to  my  sovereign,  and  to  enrich  his  kingdom 
with  gold,  of  the  ore  whereof  this  hand  hath  found 
and  taken  in  Guiana.  But  the  enterprise,  notwith- 
standing my  endeavors,  had  no  other  issue  than 
what  was  fatal  to  me,  —  the  loss  of  my  son,  and 
the  wasting  of  my  whole  estate." 

Montagu,  the  chief  justice,  sternly  interrupted 
him  by  saying  that  the  Guiana  expedition  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  matter.  "  Treason,"  he 
added,  '*  is  a  crime  which  must  be  pardoned  by 
express  words,  not  by  implication.  The  king  has 
never  pardoned  you." 

"  If  that  is  your  opinion,"  replied  Ralegh,  *'  I  can 
only  put  myself  on  the  mercy  of  the  king." 

The  judges  then  declared  that  Ralegh  should  be 
executed  on  the  old  conviction. 


262  RALEGH  : 

Rising,  and  bowing  with  an  air  of  sorrowful 
dignity,  the  prisoner  said,  — 

"  My  lords,  I  desire  this  much  favor,  that  I  be 
not  cut  off  suddenly,  but  may  have  some  time 
granted  me  before  my  execution,  to  settle  my 
affairs  and  my  mind.  I  have  something  to  do  in 
discharge  of  my  conscience  ;  and  I  have  somewhat 
to  satisfy  his  .Majesty  in.  I  would  beseech  the 
favor  of  pen,  ink,  and  paper ;  and  I  now  beseech 
your  lordships  that,  when,!  come  to  die,  I  may 
have  leave  to  speak  freely  at  my  farewell.  And 
here  I  take  God,  before  whom  I  shall  shortly  ap- 
pear, to  be  my  judge,  that  I  was  never  disloyal  to 
his  majesty  ;  which  I  shall  justify  when  I  shall  not 
fear  the  face  of  any  king  on  earth.  And  I  beseech 
you  all  to  pray  for  me." 

On  being  led  out  of  Westminster  Hall,  Ralegh 
was  surprised  to  find  that,  instead  of  being  taken 
back  to  the  Tower,  he  was  lodged  in  the  gate- 
house of  Westminster  Abbey.  This  was  an  old, 
low  building,  the  upper  story  of  which  had  long 
been  used  as  a  prison.  Ralegh  was  conducted 
into  one  of  its  cells.  His  petition  for  pen  and 
paper  was  refused ;  nor  could  he  now  doubt 
that    his    other  prayer,  that  time  might  be    given 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  263 

to  him  to  prepare  for  death,  was  also  to  be  de- 
nied  him. 

Even  before  his  appearance  before  the  judges, 
indeed,  the  warrant  for  his  execution  had  been 
drawn  up  by  the  false  hand  of  Bacon,  and  had 
been  signed  by  King  James.  The  king  had  left 
London,  so  that  he  might  not  be  annoyed  by  the 
commotion  which  the  coming  tragedy  would  excite. 
A  scaffold  was  erected  in  haste  in  the  old  Palace 
Yard,  near  by,  as  soon  as  Ralegh  had  entered  his 
prison  door.  The  next  day  was  Lord  Mayor's  day, 
and  the  great  multitude  of  Londoners  would  flock 
to  the  other  end  of  the  town,  to  witness  the  civic 
pageant.  It  was  just  the  time  to  put  Ralegh  out 
of  the  way  without  interruption  or  disturbance. 

All  these  things  showed  that  the  time  of  Ra- 
legh's doom  was  fixed  for  an  early  hour  on  the 
morning  of  October  29,  161 8,  and  that  every  pre- 
caution had  been  taken  to  dispatch  him  immedi- 
ately after  his  fate  had  been  sealed  by  the  judges. 

Meanwhile,  Ralegh  spent  his  last  evening  and 
night  on  earth  in  preparation  for  his  doom.  De- 
spite the  secrecy  with  which  the  coming  event  was 
kept,  news  of  it  spread  quickly  through  the  royal 
court,  and  among  the   upper  classes.     A  number 


264  RALEGH  : 

of  Ralegh's  friends  hastened  to  the  gate-house  to 
bid  him  farewell.  They  found  him  calm,  almost 
cheerful.  To  one  of  them,  an  old  friend  from  the 
country,  he  quietly  asked,  — 

"  You  will  come  to-morrow  morning  ? " 

**  Certainly,"  said  his  friend. 

"But,"  replied  Ralegh,  •' I  know  not  whether 
you  will  get  a  place.  You  must  take  your  chance. 
For  my  part,  I  am  sure  of  one." 

A  relative,  Francis  Thynne,  observing  how 
buoyantly  Ralegh  bore  himself,  said  to  him,  '*  Do 
not  carry  it  with  too  much  bravery.  Your  enemies 
will  complain  of  it  if  you  do." 

"  It  is  my  last  mirth  in  this  world  ; "  rejoined 
Ralegh,  *'  do  not  grudge  it  to  me.  When  I  come 
to  the  sad  parting,  you  will  see  me  grave  enough." 

Among  those  who  visited  the  doomed  hero  on 
that  last  night,  was  Dr.  Tounson,  Dean  of  West- 
minster ;  who  naturally  asked  about  his  spiritual 
state.     The  Dean  thus  relates  the  conversation  :  — 

"  When  I  began  to  encourage  him  against  the 
fear  of  death,  he  seemed  to  make  so  light  of  it  that 
I  wondered  at  him.  When  I  told  him  that  the 
dear  servants  of  God,  in  better  causes  than  his,  had 
shrunk  back  and  trembled  a  little,  he  denied  it  not. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  265 

But  yet  he  gave  God  thanks  that  he  had  never 
feared  death.  I  wished  him  not  to  flatter  himself; 
for  this  extraordinary  boldness  I  feared  might  come 
from  some  false  ground.  If  it  sprung  from  the  love 
and  favor  of  God,  and  the  hope  of  his  salvation  by 
Christ,  and  his  own  innocence,  then  he  was  a 
happy  man.  But  if  it  was  out  of  any  humor  of 
vain  glory,  or  carelessness  of  death,  or  senselessness 
of  his  own  state,  then  were  he  much  to  be  lamented. 
He  satisfied  me  then  ;  as  I  think  he  did  all  his 
spectators  at  his  death.  He  was  the  most  fearless 
of  death  that  ever  was  known,  and  the  most  resolute 
and  confident ;  yet  with  reverence  and  conscience." 

Later  in  the  night,  when  Ralegh  was  left  alone, 
he  employed  himself  in  writing  some  verses  on 
scraps  of  paper  which  his  jailer  had  been  indulgent 
enough  to  give  him. 

At  the  midnight  stroke,  the  saddest  trial  of  all 
took  place.  The  time  had  come  when  Ralegh  was 
to  sec  his  faithful  and  beloved  wife  for  the  last 
time.  With  heroic  resolution,  he  steeled  himself 
to  go  bravely  through  this  most  sorrowful  ordeal. 
When  his  weeping  wife  entered  his  cell,  Ralegh 
received  her  with  kind,  firm  voice,  and  for  a 
moment  held  her  close  to  his  breast.     Then,  seating 


266  RALEGH  : 

himself  beside  her,  and  taking  her  hands  in  his,  he 
tried  to  cheer  and  console  her.  Even  at  that 
terrible  hour,  his  mind  was  still  intent  upon  pre- 
serving his  good  name  and  fame,  and  justifying 
himself  in  the  eyes  of  future  generations.  He 
forced  his  wife  to  listen,  while  he  told  her  of  the 
means  by  which,  after  his  death,  she  might  restore 
his  renown. 

Then  the  poor  wife  broke  down,  and  began  to 
talk  about  their  little  son,  Carew,  who  would  still 
remain  to  her.  At  the  mention  of  Carew's  name, 
Ralegh  was  for  a  moment  overcome.  He  told  his 
wife,  in  broken  accents,  not  to  speak  of  the  boy,  for 
he  could  not  bear  to  think  of  him.  All  too  soon, 
the  turnkey  came  to  conduct  Lady  Ralegh  out  of 
the  gate-house.  Straining  her  to  his  breast,  and 
showering  upon  her  his  farewell  kisses,  Ralegh  bade 
her  good-by.  Lady  Ralegh  had  obtained  permission 
to  receive  her  husband's  body,  and  bury  it  where 
she  wished ;  and  at  this  last  moment,  she  told  him 
of  this  sad  consolation. 

"It  is  well,  dear  Bess,"  said  Ralegh,  with  a 
sorrowful  smile,  ''  that  thou  mayest  dispose  of  that, 
dead,  which  thou  hadst  not  always  the  disposing 
of  when  alive." 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  26/ 

In  another  instant,  the  heavy  door  of  the  cell  was 
swung  to  and  locked,  and  had  parted  husband  and 
wife  forever. 

The  rest  of  the  dark  hours  were  spent  in  writing 
additions  to  his  will,  and  giving  directions  as  to  the 
management  of  such  little  property  as  he  still  had 
left.  It  was  scarcely  dawn  when  the  venerable 
Dean  of  Westminster  again  entered  his  cell,  attired 
in  the  robes  of  his  sacred  office.  With  grave 
voice  and  manner,  he  gave  Ralegh  the  final  sacra- 
ment, which  the  prisoner  took  with  cheerful  seren- 
ity. The  Dean  then  spoke  to  him  of  the  treason 
which  he  had  been  accused  of  committing  ;  and  at 
this  solemn  moment,  Ralegh  once  more,  with  great 
earnestness,  declared  his  innocence. 

Soon  after  the  Dean's  departure,  an  attendant 
brought  Ralegh  a  cup  of  sack,  which  he  drank  with 
evident  relish.  The  attendant  asked  him  if  it  was 
to  his  liking. 

"  I  will  answer  you,"  said  Ralegh,  "  as  did  the 
fellow  who  drank  of  St.  Giles's  bowl,  as  he  went 
to  Tyburn  :  '  It  is  good  drink,  if  a  man  might  but 
tarry  by  it.'  " 

At  an  early  hour  the  sheriffs,  with  the  Dean  of 
Westminster,    entered    Ralegh's    cell.     They    told 


268  RALEGH  : 

him  that  the  time  had  come  for  him  to  proceed  to 
the  scaffold.  Without  hesitation  or  tremor,  the 
old  hero  grasped  his  hat  and  put  it  on,  and  said,  — 

**  Sirs,  I  am  ready  to  follow  you." 

The  scene,  as  Ralegh,  between  the  two  sheriffs, 
emerged  from  the  gate-house,  and  with  firm  step 
crossed  the  street  towards  the  scaffold,  was  one 
which,  even  at  that  dread  hour,  must  have  at- 
tracted his  attention.  Around  the  scaffold,  which 
rose  grimly  in  Old  Palace  Yard,  a  barrier  had  been 
erected  ;  within  this  barrier,  the  space  was  packed 
with  people.  In  the  street  around  it  was  collected 
a  multitude  of  courtiers  and  noblemen  on  horse- 
back; while  from  the  balconies  of  the  houses  near 
by,  other  persons  of  rank  and  distinction  looked 
down  upon  the  sombre  spectacle. 

As  Ralegh  was  crossing  the  street,  he  observed 
an  old  man  standing  there  with  a  very  bald  head, 
which  had  no  covering.  Taking  off  a  lace  cap 
which  he  wore  under  his  hat,  Ralegh  tossed  it  to 
the  old  man,  saying,  — 

"  You  need  this,  my  friend,  more  than  I  do." 

On  entering  the  barrier,  the  crowd  was  so  dense 
and  so  excited,  that  Ralegh  for  a  moment  was 
hustled  to  and  fro.     But  he  firmly  kept  his  footing, 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  269 

and  the  placid  smile  with  which  he  had  made  his 
appearance  never  left  his  face.  With  knightly 
bearing  and  erect  form  he  ascended  the  narrow 
steps  of  the  scaffold.  There  stood  the  headsman, 
tall,  gaunt,  and  grim,  with  a  black  mask  over  his 
face,  leaning  upon  the  glittering,  deadly  axe.  By 
his  side  stood  the  Dean  of  Westminster,  ready  to 
perform  the  last  sacred  offices.  On  either  side  of 
Ralegh  were  stationed  the  sheriffs,  watchful  lest, 
at  the  last  moment,  a  rescue  might  be  attempted  ; 
for  the  sympathies  of  the  crowd  were  strongly  in 
Ralegh's  favor. 

Ralegh  turned  to  the  spectators,  and  began  to 
speak  the  last  words  he  would  utter  on  earth. 

"  I  have  had  fits  of  ague,"  said  he,  "  for  the  last 
two  days.  If,  therefore,  you  perceive  any  weakness 
in  me,  ascribe  it  to  my  sickness,  rather  than  to 
myself.  I  am  infinitely  bound  to  God  that  he  hath 
vouchsafed  me  to  die  in  the  sight  of  so  noble  an 
assembly,  and  not  in  darkness,  in  that  Tower 
where  I  have  suffered  so  much  adversity  and  a 
long  sickness." 

He  then  went  on  to  defend  himself,  with  earnest 
and  eloquent  words,  from  the  charges  which  had 
been  made  against  him  ;  and  then,  after  alluding 


2/0  RALEGH  ! 

to  the  treachery  of  Stukeley,  and  the  French  doc- 
tor, Manourie,  he  declared  that  he  freely  forgave 
them  both.  After  concluding  his  defence  of  the 
Guiana  expedition,  and  denying  that  he  had  ex- 
ulted in  Essex's  death,  he  said,  — 

''  I  have  many,  many  sins  for  which  to  beseech 
God's  pardon.  For  a  long  time,  my  course  was  a 
course  of  vanity.  I  have  been  a  seafaring  man,  a 
soldier,  and  a  courtier  ;  and  in  the  temptations  of 
the  least  of  these  there  is  enough  to  overthrow  a 
good  mind  and  a  good  man.  I  die  in  the  faith 
professed  by  the  Church  of  England.  I  hope  to 
be  saved,  and  to  have  my  sins  washed  away  by 
the  precious  blood  and  merits  of  our  Saviour, 
Christ." 

Ralegh  then  begged  for  the  prayers  of  those 
who  heard  him,  and  himself  knelt  in  prayer.  No 
sooner  had  Ralegh  risen  to  his  feet  again,  than, 
turning  to  the  headsman,  he  said,  — 

"  Show  me  the  axe." 

The  headsman  hesitated  a  moment,  then  lifted 
the  axe  so  that  Ralegh  could  take  hold  of  it.  He 
tried  its  edge,  to  see  whether  it  was  sharp  enough 
to  do  its  work  and  holding  up  the  glittering  blade, 
kissed  it. 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  27 1 

"This,"  said  he,  "gives  me  no  fear.  It  is  a 
sharp  and  fair  medicine,  to  cure  me  of  all  my 
troubles." 

Then,  turning  to  the  headsman,  and  giving  him 
back  the  axe,  Ralegh  added,  — 

"  When  I  stretch  forth  my  hands,  despatch  me." 
He  again  faced  the  spectators,  and  said,  "Give  me 
heartily  your  prayers." 

The  doomed  man  knelt  at  the  block,  and  his 
lips  were  seen  moving  in  silent  prayer.  He  sud- 
denly lifted  his  hands,  as  a  signal  for  the  exe- 
cutioner to  strike.  But  the  headsman,  for  once 
confused  by  the  scene  before  him,  lost  his  presence 
of  mind,  and  did  not  at  once  obey  the  signal. 

Ralegh,  seeing  that  the  blow  did  not  fall,  cried 
out, — 

"  What  dost  thou  fear  ?     Strike,  man,  strike  ! " 

The  headsman  now  nerved  himself,  and  swung 
the  axe  aloft.  It  fell  with  a  tremendous  blow  upon 
Ralegh's  neck,  and  in  another  instant  had  fallen  a 
second  time.  But  the  first  blow  had  done  its 
work.  The  kneeling  form  was  headless.  The 
executioner  grasping  the  bleeding  head  by  the 
hair,  lifted  and  showed  it  to  the  spectators.  Sir 
Walter  Ralegh  was  no  more  ! 


2/2  RALEGH  : 

A  quick  shudder  ran  through  the  multitude,  and 
many  groaned  at  the  horrible  sight.  One  man 
cried  out,  angrily,  "  We  have  not  such  another 
head  to  be  cut  off."  The  crowd  separated  slowly, 
muttering  and  crying  out  against  Ralegh's  ene- 
mies ;  while  his  friends  who  were  present  departed 
with  tearful  eyes. 

The  remains  of  the  stout  old  hero,  who  had 
achieved  and  had  suffered  so  much,  and  had  met, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  the  unmerited  doom  of  a 
traitor,  were  duly  delivered  to  his  sorrowing  widow. 
The  same  day,  they  were  reverently  and  tenderly 
laid  in  a  tomb  in  St.  Margaret's  Church,  just  beside 
Westminster  Abbey,  and  in  sight  of  the  scene  of 
his  execution.  Years  after,  a  tablet  of  brass  was 
erected  in  the  church,  near  the  spot  where  Ralegh 
was  laid  ;  and  upon  this  was  engraved  the  following 
inscription:  — 

"  Within  the  chancel  of  this  church  was  interred  the  body 
of  the  great  Sir  Walter  Ralegh,  on  the  day  he  was  beheaded, 
in  Old  Palace  Yard,  Westminster,  October  29th,  1618. 
Reader,  should  you  reflect  on  his  errors,  remember  his  many 
virtues;  and  that  he  was  a  mortal." 

Thus  lived  and  died  one  who  played  a  famous 
and  heroic  part  in  his  time  ;  and  whose  fame,  which 


HIS    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES.  273 

grew  ever  brighter  after  his  death,  is  still  green  at 
a  distance  of  more  than  two  and  a  half  centuries. 
Posterity  has  awarded  him  the  justice  which,  while 
he  was  living,  was  denied  to  him  by  ungrateful 
monarchs  and  relentless  enemies.  He  served  Eng- 
land well,  and  was  an  honor  to  his  age  ;  he  was  a 
pioneer  of  the  English  settlement  on  the  American 
continent ;  and  whatever  part  he  chose  to  play  in 
the  world's  afifairs,  he  played  resolutely,  bravely, 
and  with  all  the   might  of  mind  and   hand. 


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